Spots of Silver
by Scrawlers
Summary: A collection of drabbles that make up a novelization of the game Pokemon: SoulSilver. Mostly follows Lyra through her journey, but also features her rival Will, her best friend Ethan, Gym Leader Morty and his best friend Eusine.
1. Set One

**Disclaimer: **I sadly don't own Pokèmon. I wish I did, but I don't.

**Authors' Note: **Most of these are old, and have been posted on my deviantART for forever, but I decided to post them here to have them all in one place. Basically, as I played through _Pokèmon SoulSilver, _I started to get little ideas – ideas inspired by the events of the game. So I started writing little drabbles about them, and before I realized what was happening, I was basically novelizing my experience – except instead of going chapter-by-chapter, chronicling every little event (even the boring stuff, like fixing a shoelace or each time Lyra set up camp), it skips from event to event in drabble form. Of course, some of them aren't exactly "drabbles" – more like one-shots really – but they're in the collection anyway, because they're all part of the same storyline.

I gave Lyra the same party – nicknames and all – that I use in SoulSilver, because it's easier that way and – because her name is canonically Lyra – there are His Dark Materials references abound. I'll let you catch all of them, save for one: I named the Rival "Will Argento" based off the Will from His Dark Materials (so fans of HDM can probably guess what the final ship of this collection will be, though there are hints of other ships in there as well). The last name is different, however, because "Argento" means "silver" in Italian, and since Rival's name was "Silver" back in the days GSC, and since his father has an Italian name, I figured it was appropriate.

I may add in explanations for other references later, but then again, I might not – I tend to like it when people recognize references themselves. Makes things more fun. :)

I'm posting up all eight sets right off the bat, so I don't expect to get too many reviews here – but reviews would be fantastic and I would love you all forever. Believe me, I would.

With all that out of the way, let's get started!

* * *

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set One**

**

* * *

**

**001. Don't Laugh**

"I have an acquaintance that most people know as Mr. Pokèmon. He keeps raving about all of these discoveries, but -" Professor Elm stopped abruptly, frowning. "Lyra? Is something the matter?"

"N - No. It's nothing." Lyra put a fist in front of her mouth, trying very hard to reign in her giggles, but it was difficult. "That's a, uh - a very _interesting_ name." She tried to choke back another laugh, but failed, and Professor Elm sighed, looking faintly irritated.

"I know it isn't the most original name out there, but he _is_ a good friend, and that isn't the point, anyway. If you could just not laugh and listen . . ."

"Right, right." Lyra cleared her throat, straightened up, and tried to look serious. "Sorry." Even so, she couldn't help the way her lips twitched at the corners, or the laugh that kept trying to crawl up her throat.

* * *

**002. Running Shoes**

"They're brand new! See you around!" The old man thrust the box of shoes into Lyra's hands before going back into his house, shutting the door behind him. Lyra stared after him for a moment before she opened the box, indeed seeing a brand new pair of Running Shoes inside.

"It's not that I'm not grateful," Lyra said to her Cyndaquil (whom she had dubbed 'Byrnison') as she sat down, swapping out her shoes. "I mean, it's not like I could have ever afforded a pair this nice. It's just . . . who goes around handing out free pairs of expensive shoes?" Looking over, Lyra saw that Byrnison looked just as confused as she felt.

* * *

**003. Name**

Lyra didn't know whether to be angry, confused, or strangely, weirdly happy. The boy in front of her was unlike any boy she'd ever seen before, with wild red hair and bright gray eyes. He was rough and somewhat aggressive, quite unlike Ethan, and for some reason, Lyra didn't want to take her eyes off him. But at the same time, he kept insulting her and calling her weak _despite_ the fact that Byrnison just defeated his Totodile, and he seemed inclined to completely brush her off. More than anything, Lyra was feeling the overpowering urge to punch him in the face, and she didn't even know his name.

But as he moved past her, Lyra caught sight of a card sticking out of his pocket. Normally she didn't make it a habit to steal, but as he rudely shoved her out of the way, Lyra plucked the card from his pocket. It was his Trainer's Card, just like she thought, and along with his picture, it clearly bore the name _Will Argento_.

"Hey!" The boy's - Will's - voice quickly jerked Lyra from her thoughts, and she looked up to see him storming back toward her, anger flashing hot in his eyes. "That's my Trainer's Card!" Reaching out, Will snapped it from her fingers, and Lyra frowned at him.

"All you had to do was ask for it back, Will. It was falling out of your pocket, anyway."

Will's eyes widened, and he gripped the card so hard Lyra thought the plastic was going to snap in half. "Damn it," he muttered. "You saw my name . . ." Spinning on his heel, Will took off, sprinting toward Cherrygrove. Lyra watched him go, and then shook her head with a sigh, turning in the opposite direction to return to New Bark.

It wasn't until she got there that she realized just why Will didn't want her to know his name.

* * *

**004. Tutorial**

"And that's all there is to it!" Ethan said, grinning broadly as he turned to face Lyra. His smile faltered when he saw that she was giving him an unimpressed stare.

"I know how to catch a Pokèmon, Ethan," she said, her arms folded across her chest. Ethan laughed a bit nervously, rubbing at the back of his head.

"Well, I know, but all new Trainers need someone to show them, right? I mean, even if they don't really. It's part of the experience! And besides that . . ."

"Besides that?"

"I just . . . Uh . . . Well . . ." Ethan looked down at Mari, his Marill, and saw her smack her tail against the ground, giving him an impatient look. "It's just that, well, time's really flying by and I better go."

"What?" Lyra blinked, clearly confused. "What are you-"

"See ya!" Ethan turned, bolting back through the tall grass, Mari letting out an indignant squeak before bolting after. Lyra called his name, but Ethan didn't stop running. If he stopped running, then he'd have to turn and face her, and if he turned and faced her, then she'd see him blushing, and Ethan wanted that to happen just about as much as he wanted her to know that the real reason he insisted on giving her a tutorial was just so he could have an excuse to spend a bit of time with her before she left.

* * *

**005. Heights**

"Pidgeotto, use Gust!" Falkner's cry was nearly drowned out by the wind that swept up around Byrnison, sending him flying across the room and dangerously toward the edge of the platform. Lyra resisted the urge to run after him and scoop him up, and instead turned her ire toward Falkner.

"Falkner," she growled, "I swear to Mew, if Byrnison falls off this stupidly high platform, I'm going to throttle you!" Falkner stared at her in clear surprise, but not before Lyra looked back toward her Pokèmon. "Byrnison, up on your feet and use Ember! Roost that stupid Pidgeotto with all you've got!"

* * *

**006. Slowpoke Tails**

Lyra looked down at the Furret scampering along beside her, pausing with a frown as she noticed something.

"Pan," she said slowly, "is that a Slowpoke Tail you have in your mouth?" Pantalaimon looked up at her with a completely innocent expression and then shook his head, throwing the suspicious pink object away. Lyra looked after it, yet then shook her head.

In all honesty, she really didn't want to know.

* * *

**007. Splashing Around on the Ground**

Byrnison hated the Slowpoke Well. It was wet, it was damp, and he just didn't like it. For this reason, Lyra recalled her Quilava as soon as they got down into the well, and decided to travel with Pantalaimon instead. Where her Quilava hated the water, her Furret seemed to love it, scampering along the smooth stone and splashing in the puddles. Pantalaimon didn't even seem to feel bad for Kurt, who seemed to have a hurt back and couldn't go on. Lyra was a bit more dubious.

"Do you really think he hurt his back, Pan?" she asked her Furret as they moved further into the cave. Pantalaimon scampered up into her arms, and then moved to ride on her shoulder. He made a sound that sounded like disagreement. "Yeah," Lyra muttered, risking a glance over her shoulder. "I don't think so, either."

* * *

**008. Gifts**

Ethan's behavior was really beginning to confuse Lyra. Every time she met him, he seemed to be giving her something, such as the Vs. Recorder. Lyra appreciated the gifts - she really did - but right after he gave them to her, he always gave a half-baked excuse before turning and leaving. It was downright weird, especially since his Marill seemed to grow irritated with him every time he did.

"Ethan!" Lyra called after the third time, even though she knew he wouldn't stop. "Can't you just wait a second? What's got you in a hurry all the time?"

"I'm a Trainer!" he shouted back. "I have places to go and people to see!"

"Would it hurt you to see your best friend for more than a few seconds?" Ethan was already too far away to reply, and Lyra just sighed, putting his newest present into her bag.

Whatever his problem was, she couldn't deny that it _was_ nice, at least, to receive presents.

* * *

**009. Pink**

"Actually," Lyra said, interrupting Proton mid-speech, "I have another question."

"What?" he snapped, still sore about being beaten.

"Why do all of your grunts have pink hair?" Proton stared blankly at her, and so she continued. "I mean, your hair is blue, so I'm guessing it's not a dress requirement. Or is it for grunts? Or all they all related? I find that to be kind of unlikely." Lyra turned to look around at the grunts, all of whom were staring at her by this point. "What?" she asked. "It's a legitimate question!"

"We're cutting off Slowpoke Tails, and you're worried about our _hair color_?" One of the grunts asked incredulously. Lyra rolled her eyes.

"I'm worried about more than that, but this is just kind of creepy. So, what's the reason?"

"I'm actually wondering about that too," Proton said, frowning. "So, speak up and tell me why you're all a bunch of pink-haired freaks before I make you regret your silence!"

The grunts quailed under his look, exchanging glances. They wanted to answer him - really, they did - but they had no idea of how to explain . . .

* * *

**010. Girlfriend?**

Hours after her visit to the Day-Care Center, Lyra was still musing about the conversation that had taken place there.

_"I see. So this is your girl . . . friend."  
"Grandma! It's not like that! She just happens to live nearby . . ."_

Ethan had been quick to deny it, and Lyra didn't begrudge him that. After all, she _wasn't_ his girlfriend, just his best friend. They'd known each other since they were babies, practically. She wasn't his girlfriend . . .

_"Grandma. Don't you say a thing. We're both Trainers. We're supposed to exchange numbers."_

And that was true too, right? It was normal for her to want to call Ethan to talk to him. And it was normal for him to call her. And Trainers gave each other gifts from time to time, right? Items that they no longer needed? Sure they did - even moreso when they were already friends. Best friends.

But did people really see Lyra as Ethan's girlfriend?

"Ugh, when did this stuff become confusing?" Lyra asked, looking down at Pantalaimon and Byrnison. Since she was resting for the night she'd let both of them out, and they looked at her with sympathy. "Ethan's just my best friend. We've been best friends since we were kids. That's normal, right?" Her Pokèmon merely looked back at her, and Lyra sighed. "Or at least, I thought it was . . ."

* * *

**011. Juggler Irwin**

"You're pretty good!" Ethan smiled at the praise, and was about to reply when the juggler - who apparently went by the name of Irwin - continued. "But you're nowhere near as good as Lyra!"

"Lyra?" Ethan's eyebrows rose, and Mari bounced back over to stare at Juggler Irwin with a serious gaze. "You know Lyra?"

"Of _course_ I know Lyra!" Juggler Irwin seemed to go off in his own world, a rosy hue tinting his cheeks and a dreamy look in his eyes. "She beat me just the other day," he continued, "and my life has been changed forever since. She's so beautiful, and smart, and strong, and talented, and sweet, and kind, and cool, and nice, and amazing, and fantastic, and gorgeous, and - and - ahh, she just _rocks_ my _soul_! And I know that we're a perfect match - absolutely perfect, just like how Lyra is absolutely perfect!" Juggler Irwin barely even seemed to remember Ethan was there anymore. "We exchanged phone numbers. I call her every day. Sometimes several times a day. She's just fantastic!"

"I . . . I see." Ethan didn't know what he was going to do with this new information, but he had to restrain himself from calling Lyra on the spot to ask her if she wanted him to get rid of this apparent stalker of hers. "Well, uh . . . It was nice battling with you. C'mon, Mari." Ethan looked down to see that Mari looked ready to Water Gun Irwin, and so he quickly scooped his Marill into his arms. "Bye, Irwin."

"Bye! Oh, and if you see Lyra, tell her I said hi!" Ethan held Mari a little tighter, not wanting to let her squirm out to go soak Juggler Irwin in water like she clearly wanted to (even if he was almost considering letting her).

"Yeah," he managed, barely forcing the word out. "I will."

* * *

**012. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid**

Will didn't like weak people. He didn't. And so that girl - Lyra - was weak. Very weak. She was very weak because Will didn't like her. Nope. Not at all. Not one bit. In fact, Will _hated_ her. Oh, yes. Will hated her very, _very_ much.

He _did_.

In fact, he especially hated her right that second as she stared at the Ecruteak City Gym Leader. They were all in the Burned Tower - Will, Lyra, Morty, and some creep wearing a cape that Will didn't even _want_ to know - and Lyra had eyes only for Morty. Will didn't see what was so special about Morty. His hair was dirty blond and he wore a stupid scarf and sweater. What was so great about that? It was definitely nothing to drool over, and Lyra looked like she was ready to start drooling at any second. She was stupid. Stupid and weak. And Will didn't like her. He _didn't_. Didn't like her or her stupid eyes and stupid smile and stupid, stupid laugh.

She was stupid and weak and he _hated_ her. After all, he'd have to be _stupid_ to like her.

Lyra laughed suddenly at something Morty said, a faint blush tickling her cheeks. Will glowered, feeling something cold twist in his gut as something hot flashed against the back of his neck, and turned away with his arms crossed, fingers gripping his arms so tightly that it hurt.

Everything about the current situation was just really freakin' _stupid._

_

* * *

_

**013. Morty**

Lyra tried to concentrate during her Gym Battle with Morty. Really, she did. But it was hard to do that when Morty's soft voice was calling out commands to his Pokèmon and when his light gray eyes kept connecting with hers. His hair looked so soft, and that sweater fit his toned body so nicely . . . Despite all the shadows in the room, Lyra could make out every bit of Morty perfectly throughout the gloom, and she was starting to think that the strength of his Pokèmon had nothing to do with why he was such a tough Gym Leader. After all, who needed strong Pokèmon when you could just distract your opponents with the gorgeousness of your body? It seemed like a perfectly acceptable strategy to Lyra.

"Oh! Uh, Byrnison! Use Flame Wheel!" Lyra jerked her attention away from Morty and back toward the battle, but it was too late; Morty had already commanded his Gengar to use Shadow Ball, and Byrnison fainted.

_Yup. His Gorgeous Strategy is definitely working,_ Lyra thought grimly, recalling Byrnison and sending out Pantalaimon. Looking up, she saw that Morty was staring at her, and she felt her cheeks flame. _Not that I'm complaining. I could look at him all day . . ._

_

* * *

_

**014. So Weird**

"Do you really think there's something bigger going on here, Pan?" Lyra asked, letting her Furret crawl onto her stomach as she laid on the grass. "I mean, first there was that weird Kimono Girl that we saw in Ilex Forest. She just completely disappeared after you tried to lead her out. And then there was what everyone kept saying back in Ecruteak, about there being "more" to me or something. It's just really strange."

Pantalaimon mewed his consent, twisting to lay his head on her chest. Lyra sighed.

"Well, one thing's for sure. Ecruteak's a beautiful city, but it's definitely weird." Lyra reached up one hand to scratch Pantalaimon behind the ears. "So, so weird."

* * *

**015. Not Stalking**

"Listen, Eusine," Morty said, trying to be as patient as he possibly could. "I _know_ that you want to find Suicune. Believe me, _I_ would love to see Suicune - or any of the legendary Pokèmon from Ecruteak, really," he quickly amended, seeing Eusine's eyes flash. "But that doesn't mean that you can stalk an underage girl."

"I wouldn't be stalking _her_, I'm stal- _tracking_ Suicune!" Eusine retorted, and Morty sighed. "It just so happens that Suicune took an interest in that girl - in Lyra. I _saw_ it, Morty. Suicune stopped right in front of her."

"I understand that," Morty said, "but that doesn't mean that you can just follow Lyra around. Eusine, you're going to really freak her out."

"Not if she doesn't see me," Eusine replied, and Morty groaned, putting his head in his hand.

"You're going to get arrested."

"Not if I run."

"Eusine!"

"What?"

". . . You know what? Never mind." Morty shook his head, heaving a long, suffering sigh. "Just never mind."


	2. Set Two

**Authors' Note: **A cookie to anyone who knows who Dean and Sam are based off of. It's really blatantly obvious, though.

* * *

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Two**

**

* * *

**

**016. Dean and Sam**

When Bill asked Lyra if she wanted to take care of the Eevee that had followed him home, she'd stared at him for a few moments, wondering if he was truly serious. Who turned down a free Pokèmon, much less a free _Eevee_? So of course she had accepted, and that was how she'd landed herself with Dean, the rough-and-tough Eevee who seemed to have a mind completely his own. Dean was unwilling to really cooperate with Byrnison or Pantalaimon, and sometimes didn't even want to seem to listen to her, instead doing his own thing in battles and looking out solely for himself. It wasn't that Dean was a bad Pokèmon - no, not at all - but merely that he did his own thing, and that was that.

And then . . . then came Sam.

Lyra found Sam completely by chance, roaming around the day-care while she went off looking for Dean. Dean had run off to do his own thing again, and while she was looking she found a smaller Eevee running out of the woods being chased by a Drowzee (how the Drowzee ran that fast Lyra would never know, but it was certainly tormenting the poor little Eevee that ran straight toward her). Lyra was about to command Pantalaimon to go defeat the Drowzee, but out of nowhere Dean came hurtling forward, tackling the Drowzee before delivering a vicious Headbutt that made the Drowzee retreat. The smaller Eevee was clearly shaken, but Dean - so unlike his previous sole-serving nature - actually comforted the smaller cub, and refused to leave its side. Sam entered into a Pokèball completely willingly, and from that moment on, Dean and Sam were virtually inseparable, with Dean always fighting his hardest when Sam was in danger or injured. In fact, he evolved into an Umbreon just after Sam lost a battle against a wild Miltank and Dean took it down, and likewise, Sam evolved into Espeon when he was fighting alongside his brother (Lyra knew they probably weren't, but she couldn't help but see them that way anyway) against a Clefable and Wigglytuff.

Either way, Lyra knew one thing was for certain: between the power team of Byrnison and Pantalaimon and the power team of Sam and Dean, her team was definitely set.

* * *

**017. Wild Encounter**

It happened in a split second. One moment Lyra was walking through the tall grass, heading for Olivine City, and the next the most powerful Pokèmon she'd ever seen was standing before her. Tall and ferocious, the beast had reddish-brown fur and enormous paws, completely towering over Lyra. Pantalaimon ran around to hide behind Lyra, peeking out from behind her legs, and Lyra stared up at the massive Pokèmon, unable to move or speak. She recognized it just as quickly as it locked its eyes with her as one of the beasts from the Burned Tower, but she couldn't put a name to the face - she couldn't even breathe.

Instead of attacking, the Pokèmon turned and bolted, leaving a gust of wind in its wake that actually made Lyra sway along with the grass around her. Her legs suddenly feeling like pudding, Lyra sank to her knees, and Pantalaimon nudged her arm comfortingly just as her phone rang.

"H - Hello?" Lyra stammered, having fumbled her Pokègear open as quickly as she could.

_"Hey, Lyra!"_ Ethan said cheerfully. _"What's - Hey, are you okay?"_

"Yeah, I'm . . ." Lyra swallowed the lump in her throat, though her heart was still running a Pokèathelon in her chest. "I'm fine. How about you, Ethan?"

* * *

**018. Ridiculous**

The Mineral Badge tucked safely within the case in his pocket, Will pushed open the door to the Olivine City Gym, fully intent on making it out before he could be seen. But just as he was pushing the door shut behind him he caught sight of Lyra, walking right toward him with her Furret bounding along at her feet.

"Oh, it's you," Will said darkly, hoping that it covered his surprise. Lyra's eyes widened, almost as if she hadn't even noticed he was there, and Will continued before she could ask what he was doing. "The Gym Leader isn't here. Apparently she's taking care of a sick Pokèmon at the Lighthouse. Hmph. What a waste of time."

"Really? Oh." Lyra looked down to her Furret, and Will frowned, his eyebrows knitting together.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. Lyra wasn't smiling like normal, or chatting like normal, or looking at all like her usual cheerful self. To be honest, it was unnerving him.

"Nothing," Lyra answered, and then tilted her head, looking curiously at him. "Why do you ask?"

Will couldn't explain it, but suddenly the back of his neck felt hotter and his stomach felt jittery, and he felt the overpowering urge to run. "No reason," he snapped. "Look, I have to go. Why don't you go train at the Lighthouse? Maybe then you'll be less weak." Before Lyra could reply, Will moved past her, stalking toward the edge of the city. But before he reached it, he heard her say:

"Hey, Pan, did you notice? Will didn't push me this time. Maybe he's starting to actually like me."

Will very nearly stopped, but waited until he was out of eyesight to do so, leaning back against the side of the Gym and clenching her fists. Him? Like _her_? Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. The only reason he didn't push her was because it was easier to walk around her. That was _it_. Thinking anything else was just ridiculous and stupid.

Even so, when he looked around the corner and watched her walk away, a little bit more of a bounce in her step and her head held a little higher, Will felt a bit of the unease creep out of his stomach and loosen the tension in his shoulders. He didn't like her. He _didn't_. But seeing her unhappy just threw the world a little out of sorts, and Will liked things best when he was in control and knew what was going on.

That was _all_.

But the more he thought about her, and the more something in his belly flipped a little bit more, Will cursed, closing his eyes and letting his head thud back against the wall of the Gym.

As much as he hated to admit it . . . maybe it wasn't _as_ ridiculous as he'd originally thought.

Damn it.

* * *

**019. Cameron the Photographer**

Lyra began to sense that Cameron was getting a little impatient, but for the life of her, she could not get her Pokèmon to behave.

"Come on, guys, just - Pan, stop trying to fight with Byrnison, you can both stand beside me! And Dean, stop teasing Sam!"

Pantalaimon, ignoring Lyra's words, nudged Byrnison out of the way, and Byrnison's fires blazed a little larger in response. Standing a little ways away from them, Sam was trying to pose for the camera, but was finding it difficult since Dean kept standing on top of him, using his front paws to push Sam's head closer to the ground. Sam tried to push Dean off him, and almost succeeded, but instead just turned it into a wrestling match.

"Hey, no worries," Cameron said. "We can always do this later." Lyra looked helplessly at him and then back to her Pokèmon, setting her face into a determined scowl.

"No, we're doing this now. You guys! Listen up!" Her Pokèmon looked at her briefly, but when Sam used his split tail to smack Dean in the face, Dean tackled him to the ground and began wrestling again. Lyra sighed loudly, shaking her head.

As if human boys weren't frustrating enough, boy Pokèmon were sometimes even worse.

* * *

**020. Quest**

Just as Will had said, Jasmine was in the Lighthouse, tending to an Ampharos named Amphy. To be honest, Amphy looked terrible, with fur that was damp with sweat and labored breaths. Pantalaimon nudged Amphy's paw with his nose, giving a small measure of comfort even as Jasmine put a cool rag on top of Amphy's head.

"Could you please go pick up the medicine for me?" Jasmine asked, not removing her eyes from her Pokèmon. "I would go myself, but Amphy needs me. All the same, he needs his medicine . . . But there's really no one else who can . . ."

"Sure I'll get it," Lyra said, and Jasmine looked over at her in surprise. "I can't just leave knowing that your Pokèmon is this sick. I'll go to Cianwood City and get that medicine myself. You can count on it."

"Really? Thank you so much!" Jasmine walked over, opening the door to the private room, and then crossed back to sit next to Amphy again. "I'll be waiting," Jasmine said. "The sea is dangerous, so please, be careful."

Lyra nodded, turning and leaving the room with Pantalaimon scampering along with her, hopping up onto her shoulder as she headed toward the elevator. "It kind of feels like we've been sent on a special quest, doesn't it?" Lyra asked, and Pantalaimon nodded. Lyra smiled a little. "Well, I'm not complaining, especially since we've got to go to Cianwood anyway to get to the Gym."

* * *

**021. From Point A to Point B**

The problem with getting to Cianwood City lay in the fact that Cianwood was an island surrounded by water, and it wasn't as if there was a bridge of land stretching over the sea that Lyra could walk on. Lyra stood on Olivine's beach, staring at the water, squinting her eyes. If she squinted hard enough, she could almost make out Cianwood in the distance. Almost.

"If I had a water Pokèmon - a reasonably sized water Pokèmon - this wouldn't be a problem," she said to Pantalaimon, who was splashing around in the water close to the beach. "But I don't, and I don't think there are any boats going to Cianwood right now."

Pantalaimon made a sound of agreement, yet then cried out in surprise, a low growl in his throat. Lyra turned, eyes widening when she saw Will striding toward her, a cool look in his gray eyes.

"Stranded?"

"Just a little," Lyra replied, watching as he pulled out a Pokèball. Without looking at her, Will released his Pokèmon, revealing his Feraligatr in all her glory. Lyra's eyes widened.

"Do you . . . want to battle?"

"Hmph. No. That would be a waste of time." Will walked forward, yet then paused and looked quickly at Lyra before glancing away again. "Are you -" Will sent her another furtive glance, yet then avoided eye contact by turning away. "Were you wanting to go to Cianwood City?"

"Yes . . ." Lyra said slowly. Will still refused to look at her, and Lyra's brow furrowed in confusion. "Will?"

"What?"

". . . Um, was there a reason you were . . . ?"

"Get over here." Lyra stared at him until he looked over at her impatiently, glaring heatedly. "What, are you stupid? I said get over here."

"Why -?"

"Do you want to go to Cianwood City or not?" he demanded, and Lyra's eyebrows shot up so high they almost disappeared beneath her hat. Will's cheeks darkened - was he _blushing?_ - and he looked away again. "I haven't got all day. You can stay here on this beach for all I care, but if you want to go-"

"N - No! I'll go! I was just . . . surprised, is all." Lyra ran over to him, recalling Pantalaimon (much to Pan's dismay - he still didn't trust Will) and taking off her shoes and socks, stuffing them into her bag before walking into the water. "Thank you so much, Will!"

"Yeah, well, whatever." Will mimicked her action, putting his shoes, socks, and jacket into his bag and rolling up his pants before wading in, putting his hands on his Feraligatr's back and making sure that his hands weren't anywhere near touching hers. "Are you hanging on?"

"Yep!"

"Good." Turning away from her, Will patted his Feraligatr once on the nape of her neck. "Feraligatr, go."

* * *

**022. A Little Help**

Lyra had taken off her shoes and socks to prevent them from getting wet, because she hated wet shoes and socks more than anything else, especially since wet shoes took so long to dry. But that didn't change the fact that her overalls and shirt were dripping by the time they made it to Cianwood, especially since they had to keep stopping to battle various swimmers along the way (Will had been especially annoyed by this, remarking about how stupid weak trainers should focus more on staying above water than battling if A) they sucked, and B) they were out _in the middle of the freaking ocean_). Thus, even though the air in Cianwood was warm, Lyra still started shivering as she climbed out of the water, especially with the breeze brushed against her skin. Still, the last thing she expected was for a jacket to be thrown over her head, the dark material briefly obscuring her vision before she pulled it off.

"Huh?" Lyra stared at it for a minute before she looked over at Will, who was pointedly looking away from her. "Will? Isn't this yours?"

"Just put it on," he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. He was dripping wet as well, but he seemed not to notice. "You look stupid when you're wet like that."

Lyra supposed she could have taken his words as an insult, but really, he'd called her stupid far too many times for it to have any real effect anymore (same with his calling her weak), and the gesture was kind all the same. She smiled. "Thanks, Will." The jacket was too big for her, but it was warm and felt nice on her wet skin. "Hey, will you be around later? I just need to pick up some medicine from the pharmacy and then I was thinking of stopping by the Gym. But if you want to leave before that, then -"

"Just meet me here around eight," Will interrupted, turning to walk away. "I have business of my own to take care of." Will started off before Lyra could say anything else, but she smiled a little more as she watched him go.

"Okay," she said, even though he couldn't hear her. "See you then, Will."

Well out of her earshot, with his head ducked low so no one could see his slightly darker cheeks, Will muttered, "Idiot." But even as he said it, he couldn't be sure whether he was talking to her, himself, or both of them at once.

* * *

**023. A New Acquisition**

Truth be told, Will's reason for going to Cianwood City wouldn't take him nearly until eight o' clock. In fact, it would probably only take him a few minutes, and staying on the island longer would only give him more opportunity to get caught. But he wasn't going to just leave Lyra there - because how could he beat her in battle if she drowned swimming back to the mainland like the stupid, weak idiot that she was? - so he had to give her enough time to get her stupid badge and medicine for the weak, ill Pokèmon of the Lighthouse. So, he'd wait until eight, but Will's reasoning for going to Cianwood would all be done in a matter of minutes.

Will's destination was an out-of-the-way house on the island, one with shut blinds and a securely locked door. After studying the lock for a few seconds, Will scoffed. It was amateurish. There was no point in locking a door if it was going to be one that was easily picked, and Will proved the point seconds later by using his set of lockpicks to undo the lock and push the door open. Immediately, Will heard footsteps from inside the house, but he had the door shut before the owner rounded the corner, eyes wide.

"Who are you?" the man demanded, voice trembling. "What do you want?" Will didn't answer, and instead looked down to the man's feet, watching as a Sneasel came out curiously. "I asked who you were!"

"Shut up," Will said, and the man flinched - actually _flinched_. Will almost wanted to roll his eyes. "Is that the rare Pokèmon you're always bragging about?" The man was so boastful that his bragging had reached the main land, though Will couldn't see what was _too_ special about the Sneasel. It was a cool Pokèmon, yes, and probably strong, but it wasn't even oddly-colored. What was there to brag about?

"He's my strongest!" The man proclaimed, and then pointed wildly at Will. "Sneasel! Attack him!"

"'Attack him'?" Will echoed, and this time he _did_ roll his eyes. "How pathetic. You don't even know how to control your own Pokèmon. Sneasel!" The Sneasel's head snapped up, his eyes looking straight at Will. Will pointed down to his feet. "Come here."

The man's jaw dropped as the Sneasel obediently scampered over to Will's feet, standing at attention right in front of his shoes. Will smirked. "From now on, I am your master. You'll listen to and take orders from me and only me, got it?" The Sneasel nodded once, and the man took a step forward.

"W - Wait! You can't! That's _my_ prized Pokèmon!"

"I repeat: shut up. No one wants to hear your pathetic whining," Will said, and the man fortunately closed his mouth, though he looked as terrified and outraged as ever. "You don't deserve this Pokèmon," Will went on. "All you ever do is sit here in this house, bragging about it to anyone who stops by to listen. You don't even know how to control it. If you did, it wouldn't be following me now. So do yourself and everyone around you a favor by sitting down, shutting up, and accepting that this is your fault for being so weak and pathetic."

Just as obediently as his Sneasel, the man sank into a chair, never once removing his horrified gaze from Will. A smirk of triumph curling his lips, Will turned and walked out the door, the Sneasel following along behind him.

Just as he'd predicted, it only took a few minutes, and truth be told, Will didn't think it mattered whether anyone knew or not. After all, he didn't even really have to _steal_ the Sneasel; it followed him of its own free will.

* * *

**024. A Safe Place**

Before heading off to get the medicine, Lyra stopped off at the Pokèmon Center, knowing that her Pokèmon needed a rest after the numerous battles they'd faced during the trip. But as she handed her Pokèballs over to Nurse Joy to have her Pokèmon healed, a hand grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"Hey!" she squeaked. "What are you - Gym Guy?"

"Champ in Making!" It was the guy from all the gyms she'd visited up until that point, complete with his glasses and grizzly beard. Lyra didn't know how he managed to get from Gym to Gym so quickly, but part of her thought he was stalking her, and that made her feel uncomfortable. "Hey, sorry to grab you like this, but I've got something important to tell you."

"Why aren't you at the Gym?" Lyra asked uncomfortably, tugging her arms out of his grasp. She rubbed at the spots where he'd held her, checking the sleeves to make sure he hadn't gotten any dirt on Will's jacket. After all, as mean as the thoughts sounded in her own head, she had no idea where Gym Guy's hands had been.

"The men in the Gym are all burly and buff! They could beat me to a pulp in an instant! I'm not about to step foot in there!" Gym Guy spoke as if the information was obvious, but Lyra frowned.

"I guess that means that it's a fighting-type Gym, but why . . . why would they beat you up if you haven't done anything wrong?" Gym Guy shifted uncomfortably, looking away, and Lyra felt another wave of awkward unease wash over her. "O - Oh."

"It's nothing like that!" Gym Guy said hastily, and Lyra frowned deeper, her unease increasing.

"Nothing like _what_?"

"Like . . . Like what you're thinking."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

"I just know what people say!"

"What do people say?"

"I'm not going to say it!"

"Then how do I know what you mean?"

"You just do!"

"That makes no sense!"

"Here you go!" Nurse Joy's cheerful voice broke through their arguing, and Lyra turned to see her Pokèmon returned to her, Sam popping out of his Pokèball for his turn to follow at her feet. "Your Pokèmon are fully healed! Please come back any time!"

"I . . . I have to go," Lyra said quickly, scooping her Pokèballs up and heading toward the door.

"Make sure to give Chuck a pounding! A psychic one, if you know what I mean!" Gym Guy shouted after, and Lyra nodded furiously, even though at the moment, her only thought was to get as far away from Gym Guy as possible.

* * *

**025. Close Encounter**

Morty was lost in the feel of hot-hot water soaking his hair to the back of his neck and coursing down his stiff shoulders and back when the phone rang, breaking through the solitude of the shower. At first, Morty ignored it, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair to get the last few bubbles of shampoo out of it. But the ringing stopped only for a moment before it started again, the caller apparently too persistent to merely let the matter go. Groaning, Morty turned off his shower and stepped out, wrapping his towel around his lower half before exiting the bathroom, heading for the phone. The air in his house was much too cool for his still wet torso and soaked hair, and that made Morty's answer all the more snappish and irritated. "Hello?"

_"Morty!"_ Eusine. Of course. Morty glared at the receiver, as if it was the phone's fault that his best friend was an obsessive _freak_. _"Morty, I saw it! I saw it up close and personal!"_

"Saw what?" Morty demanded, though he really already knew. He heard Eusine groan impatiently on the other end.

_"What do you think? Suicune!"_

"Really?" Morty deadpanned.

_"Yes, really! It was on the outskirts of Cianwood City! I saw Lyra heading there, so I followed her and -"_

"Eusine, I already told you to stop stalking that girl!"

_"Morty, relax, she never even noticed."_ Morty closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. Eusine was going to be the death of him, he just knew it. _"Anyway, just as I was approaching her on the outskirts I saw Suicune! It stopped in front of her, and then ran out across the ocean."_ Eusine sighed dazedly on the other end of the phone. _"It was magnificent - the most magnificent creature I'd ever seen. Words can't even begin to describe how awe-inspiring Suicune is."_

"Fascinating, Eusine," Morty said. He knew he was being unfair, given that Eusine was his best friend and Morty knew full well that Suicune was the most important thing in Eusine's life, but the house was cold when Morty only had a towel to cover himself with, and all he wanted was to get back to his shower. "Now if you don't mind -"

_"I wasn't finished!"_ Eusine interrupted, and Morty groaned. _Why am I friends with him?_ _"Suicune was clearly only interested in Lyra, so I battled her in an attempt to gain Suicune's respect."_

"Wasn't Suicune already gone by that point? How could it respect you for winning if it couldn't even see the battle?"

_"Irrelevant, Morty."_

"Sounds pretty damn relevant to me."

_"Whatever! The point is, I battled Lyra."_

Silence followed before Morty asked, "Well? Did you win?"

_". . . No. I lost."_ Morty rolled his eyes. _"But all it showed me was that I need to train harder, and that continuing to watch Lyra is of extreme importance. It will show itself before her again, I'm sure of it."_

"And it will completely respect you for stalking an underage girl," Morty said sarcastically. "I can see it now. It'll certainly claim you as its champion."

_"It will someday,"_ Eusine insisted. _"I'm sure of it!"_

"Whatever." Morty shook his head. "Look, Eusine. It's eleven o' clock at night, I had a long day of training, I'm tired and all I want to do is finish my shower and go to bed. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. Goodnight."

_"But wait, Morty, I wanted to tell you about my plan -"_

"Good_night_, Eusine." Without any further words, Morty hung up the phone, and turned to return to his shower. There was no doubt in Morty's mind that Eusine would simply call back bright and early the next morning, most likely right in the middle of Morty's breakfast or possibly even a gym match. Whichever it was, however, Morty knew that Eusine would call, and he also knew that he would answer. Because whatever Eusine did, whatever harebrained schemes he came up with to track down Suicune, Eusine was still Morty's best friend, and he'd put up with him through thick and thin.

"But if he gets himself thrown in jail over this," Morty muttered, throwing his towel onto the counter and stepping back into the shower, "I'm _not_ bailing him out."


	3. Set Three

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Part Three**

**

* * *

**

**026. Not Really All That Intimidating**

When Lyra heard that the Gym Leader of Cianwood City was a master of fighting Pokèmon, she'd been expecting someone . . . intimidating. A mysterious master of martial arts who could snap her neck with a simple _look_, maybe, or at least someone toned and well-built. Not . . . Not the slightly overweight man who spent his time sitting beneath a makeshift waterfall. _The water pressure doesn't even look that impressive,_ she thought. _And the lever to turn it off probably wouldn't be so rusty if he ever did._

But Lyra voiced none of these thoughts when she finally faced him and his ire at her interruption of his "training," save to say that such training had nothing to do with Pokèmon. It wasn't that Lyra was afraid of Chuck - Chuck was a Gym Leader, and Gym Leaders fought in Pokèmon battles, not physical ones - but more that it was getting to be late, and she had to meet Will at the coast at eight o' clock.

All the same, when Sam took out all of Chuck's fighting Pokèmon in twenty minutes flat, she did leave him with one final thought: "Your waterfall training doesn't really seem to be helping you anyway, so maybe your time would be better spent running laps with your Pokèmon instead."

* * *

**027. Compensating?**

Jasmine was a shy, sweet, timid person, even for a Gym Leader. Whereas most Gym Leaders were assertive and tended to at least try to come off as intimidating, Jasmine didn't quite cut it - not even when she raised her voice to proclaim how strong and tough the steel-type was (though perhaps it would have had more effect if she didn't add a meek comment afterward). Still, while her two Magnemite weren't anything impressive, her last Pokèmon ended up being a Steelix that almost reached to the roof of her Gym, and towered over Byrnison, who shrank back.

"Stay strong, Byrnison," Lyra said, though she felt rather intimidated herself. The Steelix merely stared down, and while it completely dwarfed Jasmine, Jasmine seemed to hold herself up a little higher once her Steelix was released, more confidence showing in her posture than before.

_Guess she has to make up for her lack of confidence in herself somehow,_ Lyra thought, her eyes moving back up to the menacing Steelix. _But somehow, I just have this feeling that this is going to be_ really _painful . . ._

* * *

**028. Completely Inconspicuous and Non-Suspicious. Totally, Guys, We're Serious Here. Super Cereal. Yeah.**

Lyra stared at the sign outside of the small Mahogany Town shop, unable to really believe what she was reading. The way it spoke of being a "completely normal souvenir shop, yep, definitely" screamed nothing but suspicion. "Does anyone really believe this?" Lyra asked, glancing down at Pantalaimon. Her Furret couldn't really answer, but he didn't really need to; as she spoke the words, two people walked behind her, and Lyra heard part of their conversation as they passed.

"I'm so glad we have a store now. It may not be an official PokèMart, but it looks official enough for me!"

"I agree. It makes up for all that fishy business up at the Lake of Rage."

"Hahaha, "fishy" business! That's a good one!"

"Why, thank you! I even crack my_self_ up sometimes!"

". . . Pan, why do I sometimes feel like we're the only people with half a brain about us sometimes?" Lyra glanced down, and noticed that Pantalaimon looked just as disgusted with the human race as she felt.

* * *

**029. Get up on the Hydra's Back**

A Gyarados was one thing. A _red_ Gyarados was another. And _battling_ a ferocious red Gyarados in the middle of its natural habitat was another thing entirely.

But the Gyarados was rampaging out in the middle of the Lake of Rage (appropriate name, Lyra thought, but it didn't make her feel any better), and more than that, Lyra _wanted_ it. She knew it was somewhat selfish of her, but she reasoned that she _did_ need a water type, and hey, it wasn't as if any other trainer in her position would even hesitate to try and capture the oddly-colored Pokèmon. Besides, capturing it was more humane than simply knocking it out, wasn't it? Especially since knocking it out would never solve the problem.

No, rationalizing her decision was not the hard part for Lyra. Working up the courage to go out into the lake was.

Byrnison, of course, was having none of it. It was raining, number one, and number two, Lyra would have to ask him to go out into a _lake_. He was a fire-type, and such a thing would kill him, and Lyra was not about to do that to him. So, he was out. Pantalaimon also flat out refused, perching himself on the shore and refusing to go any further, shaking his head when she tried to coax him. Sam looked like he might be willing to try, but Dean pounced on him and held him to the shore, refusing to let him go. So in the end, Lyra was the only one willing to go out into the lake, and even she wasn't really _that_ willing. It was a _Gyarados_, after all. A _red_ Gyarados. A _pissed off red Gyarados_. Staring out at the angry beast for a few minutes, Lyra pulled out her Pokègear, and hit number two on her speed-dial - Ethan.

_"Hello?"_

"Ethan? It's Lyra." Before Ethan had a chance to say anything else, Lyra continued. "I want you to take care of my Pokèmon when I die."

_"What? Where's this coming from? Are you okay?"_

"No," Lyra answered. "I'm about to die, and I know that you're the only trainer I can really trust to care for them when I'm gone. I'm at the Lake of Rage north of Mahogany Town. You're going to have to come pick them up. I'd say you'd make my funeral arrangements too, but my body is going to be at the bottom of the lake."

_"What? What are you talking about? Lyra, what's going on?"_ To his credit, Ethan sounded generally panicked, but Lyra merely swallowed, steeling her courage.

"If I end up not dying, I'll call you. Bye, Ethan."

_"Wait, Lyra -!"_

Lyra snapped her phone shut, and then set her Pokègear down on the ground by Dean and Sam. "Well, guys," she said grimly. "Wish me luck."

Pantalaimon tried to protest - he bit down on her ankle to hold her back - but Lyra shook him off and waded into the water anyway. It was insane. _She_ was insane, and the Gyarados was probably going to kill her, but she had to try. But just as the great beast turned toward her, Lyra realized she wasn't going to have to try alone, because Pantalaimon - against all of his better judgments - was swimming out with her, looking absolutely terrified, but loyal to the last.

"Thanks, Pan," Lyra said, and Pantalaimon bobbed his head, though he looked none too happy.

In the end, the red Gyarados went for Pantalaimon instead of Lyra, especially as Pantalaimon jumped out of the water and used Fury Swipes on the Gyarados' snout. Lyra swam around to the back while Pantalaimon had the Gyarados distracted, and - against all reason - threw herself onto the back of the great red sea serpent. The Gyarados roared out in rage, but Lyra held on tight, Pantalaimon scampering up with her once he saw that she was on safely.

"Red Gyarados," she proclaimed, pulling out on an Ultra Ball, "you're mine!" Pressing the button, Lyra captured the Gyarados in the sphere . . . And realized a second too late that she'd just captured the one creature holding her aloft in the air. With a short scream, both she and Pantalaimon plunged into the cold waters of the lake, looking like the craziest fools to ever grace the Lake of Rage.

* * *

**030. Lance, the Dragon Master**

Sometimes Lyra wished that she was one of those celebrities that had perfect hair stylists and wardrobe consultants for every moment of every day. Perhaps if she did, then Lance's first impression of her wouldn't have been of a sopping wet, tired, possibly insane girl who bore a closer resemblance to the Swamp Thing than she did a Pokèmon Trainer. As it stood, when she and Pantalaimon pulled themselves out of the Lake of Rage - the red Gyarados' Pokèball grasped tightly in her hand (she decided to henceforth call it Hydra) - she found herself staring up at him while he looked down at her, his expression unreadable. Lyra felt her face go as red as her hair at the look, considering several factors:

One, he looked intimidating even _without_ the Dragonite standing behind him.

Two, intimidating though he may have appeared, with his striking red hair and dark eyes (both of which were _strikingly_ familiar, somehow) he was also rather attractive.

And three . . . well, actually, there wasn't a three. Lyra couldn't quite get her brain to _process_ a three.

"H - H - Hi," she said, very articulately.

"I saw the way you battled," he said, and Lyra didn't really care that what he said wasn't a real introduction. It would work. "My name is Lance. I'm a Pokèmon Trainer just like yourself." Ah, so _there_ was the introduction. "There's something strange going on here, and I have strong suspicions that it has ties to Team Rocket. Would you help me investigate?"

_I'll help you do whatever you want!_ Lyra wanted to say, but she found that her mouth wouldn't quite work properly, so instead she just nodded rather numbly. Lance chuckled, his lips curling into a fierce little smile.

"Excellent. Now, I have to ask . . . do you have a name?"

"L - Lyra," Lyra stammered. "Lyra Hart."

"Hm. I like it." Lyra felt her heart begin a showdance routine in her chest, though Lance turned away, cape flaring behind him. "I'll meet you back in Mahogany." Without another word, Lance hopped on top of his Dragonite, and took to the sky. Lyra stared after, yet then slowly turned to look at Pantalaimon.

"That," she said, "was the coolest person that I have _ever_ seen." Pantalaimon nodded his fervent agreement.

* * *

**031. Hate at First Sight**

Originally, Will was just going to bypass Lance altogether. He knew Rockets when he saw them, and the Dragon Tamer was obviously _not_ a Rocket. He was traveling alone, number one. Number two, he wasn't wearing one of the uniforms. And while Will wanted to do his own thing and would have preferred other people stay out of his way (what, were Team Rocket bases hot spots for field trips?), he wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. (And it had nothing to do with the giant Dragonite behind the man, either. Nope. No way. Will wasn't afraid. _Never._)

But _Lance_ was the one who stopped _him_. Will found his path blocked by the man, and found a glare directed down at him. Will, naturally, glared back with his chin raised, eyes narrowed defiantly.

"Get out of my way."

"Scared?" Lance asked, and Will scoffed derisively. "Is the poor little Rocket scared of the big, bad Dragonite?"

Will felt hatred flash through him white hot, and his hand was grabbing one of his Pokèballs before he could help it. "Don't you _ever_," he growled in a low tone, "compare me to one of them. _Ever_!"

"So you're _not_ a Rocket?" Lance sounded incredulous. "Hm, you look just like one, minus the get-up. Mean eyes, cold demeanor, and, if I'm not mistaken, a personal history of being the k-"

"Yes, because everyone who isn't lovey-dovey, butterflies and rainbows, a giant ray of _freakin'_ sunshine is automatically a member of Team Rocket," Will spat. "I'd also like to know what classifies my eyes as "mean" and how that's a solid judgment of anything."

Lance merely stared down at him, yet then shook his head. "You have no business here, kid, but I wouldn't mind teaching you a lesson. Someone like you, well . . . you could never really care for your Pokèmon."

"So now you're going to call my talent as a trainer into question? Fine. I have no problem with thrashing a weak-hearted fool like yourself." After all, if this man was going to criticize Will's ability, then Will felt perfectly justified in doing so back. He felt nothing but the utmost scorn for the man before him, and the unrestrained loathing in Lance's eyes told Will that the Dragon Tamer felt the exact same way.

But it was no use. Lance's single Dragonite wiped out each one of Will's Pokèmon, and knocked him back against the wall with a single flap of its enormous wings. Lance stared coldly down at Will, who - despite his trouncing - still glared right back up at him.

"You don't love your Pokèmon," Lance said. "You don't trust them, and I highly doubt that _you_ would ever be capable of doing so. But if you ever _are_, then come back and see me. Prove to me that the apple falls farther away from the tree." Will felt the color drain from his face as Lance turned. "As if it's even possible."

* * *

**032. Resemblance**

There was something really familiar about Ariana that Lyra couldn't quite put her finger on.

There was something about the way she tilted her chin up when she looked at Lance, and the way she stayed strong even after her loss, remarking about how it meant nothing. There was something about the flip of her red-red hair, about the way she set her shoulders. There was something about her arrogant tone.

The more Lyra thought about it, the more familiar Ariana seemed, but Lyra knew for a fact that she had never met Ariana in her life before that day.

Still, there wasn't too much time to think about it. She and Lance moved on, fainting the Electrode, clearing out the base to stop the annoying radio signal that Team Rocket had felt fit to broadcast. Even so, later on, Lyra felt her mind drifting toward it again - thinking, wondering.

Ariana resembled someone Lyra knew, Lyra realized, but she just couldn't figure out _who_.

* * *

**033. Gold and Silver**

It's been months since their journeys started, and even so, Ethan Soulbitz meets Will Argento completely by accident.

Ethan's in a hurry, as usual, but this time it's because Lyra forgot to call him back and he's worried she's _dead_, so he's sprinting into Mahogany Town as fast as he can. Mari races along ahead of him, occasionally looping back, all of her boundless energy showing in her quick steps and bouncing tail. Ethan's not really paying attention to where he's going, so when a boy with red hair crashes into him, it takes him completely by surprise and knocks him back, his hat falling off his head. The red-haired boy was knocked down as well, swearing a blue streak that would make Ethan's father wash his mouth out with soap, and Mari makes a disapproving sound at the language.

"Sorry," Ethan says hastily, picking himself up off the ground before offering a hand to the other boy. The other boy looks at the hand for a minute, staring at it like he's never seen a human hand before, before he knocks it away. Ethan frowns, and Mari looks ready to shoot a Water Gun at the boy's face. "I was just in a hurry. Have you seen a girl with brown pigtails and a big white hat anywhere? She'd probably have a Furret or Quilava with her."

"Lyra?" The red-haired boy asks, and Ethan's eyes widen.

"You know her? I mean, yeah, Lyra. Have you seen her?"

"Just did," the boy says, and jerks a thumb in the direction of Mahogany Town. "She's playing with Team Rocket aside a cape-wearing, dragon-obsessed, bleeding heart, hypocrite _freak_." The words - all of them - are as prickly as barbs on a wire fence, and Ethan can't mask the surprise that crosses his face.

"Is - Is she okay?" he asks, setting aside all of the other questions. "I mean, if Team Rocket's in there-"

"Tch. She's fine. Stupid as ever, but fine." The red-haired boy glares at something over Ethan's shoulder. "Not that I care. She can go off herself for all I care. Maybe the _Dragon Tamer_ can attend her funeral."

"Don't talk about her like that," Ethan says, voice losing all of its friendliness. Ethan considers himself to be a pretty easy guy to get along with, but there are certain lines that can't be crossed, and wishing his friends dead is one of them. "What's your problem, anyway? Aren't you Lyra's friend?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" The red-haired boy looks at Ethan sharply, eyes defensive and accusing all at the same time. "I have no use for that weakling except to smash her and her worthless Pokèmon flat into the ground where they belong."

Something clicks in Ethan's brain, then - forgotten memories of phone conversations he'd had with Lyra before. "You're Will," he says, his voice wondering. "You have to be - you fit Lyra's description perfectly."

"She talks about me?" Will sounds surprised and suspicious all at once. "What does she say? Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Ethan, Lyra's best friend." Ethan stands his ground, and Mari races over to stand beside him, standing proud as well. "And yeah, she does. You kind of make it impossible for her not to, since you're always wherever she goes."

"I am _not_," Will retorts. "_She's_ wherever _I_ go. And anyway, I don't have time for this. I have places to be. Move." Before he can, however, Will shoves Ethan aside, and throws Mari a dirty look when she moves to bite his ankle.

"Let it go, Mari," Ethan sighs, reaching down to pat his Pokèmon on her head. "We should go find Lyra, anyway." Despite Will's rough exterior, and despite the fact that everything tells Ethan that he should write the other boy off as a psycho not worth his time, Ethan gets the distinct feeling that Will isn't as bad as he seems, and that Ethan probably just caught him on a bad day.

* * *

**034. Worse Than a Telemarketer**

"Oh, for the love of . . ." Lyra pulled out her Pokègear, sighing as she saw her mother's number flashing on the caller ID. Clicking the send button, she put the phone to her ear, sighing, "Yes, Mother?"

"Hi, Lyra! I was out shopping and I found something useful, so I -"

"Bought it with my money. But that's fine, because you had the deliveryman take it to the nearest mart, even though you had no idea where I would be at the time, so it's sort of strange how the deliveryman always knows just where to turn up," Lyra finished, tone deadpan. "Let me guess," she asked in the silence that followed. "You bought more berries, right?"

"I was trying to do something nice," her mother responded, tone rather cool. Lyra felt a bit of shame slip down her back, but willed it to go away. This was the fourth time in a half hour that her mother had called her, and Lyra was getting rather tired of the constant pestering. "Next time I'll remember not to bother."

"No, Mom, it's not that," Lyra said, resisting the urge to groan. "It's just that you call _a lot_, for _berries_. Couldn't you maybe call a little less?"

"Do you want me to still save your money?" It seemed like a random topic change, and Lyra actually pulled the phone away from her ear for a minute to look at it before replacing it.

"Yes?"

"Then I will continue to help you, and will continue to let you know, because how else would you know to pick up the items I had delivered to you?" Lyra put her head in one hand, feeling a headache coming on. "By the way," her mother added, tone a bit more acidic, "I think those berries are really useful." The line went dead, and Lyra hung up her Pokègear, letting out a frustrated groan.

Having her mom save her money was really useful, and Lyra considered herself lucky that she had a mother willing to do that. All the same, she also wished that she could somehow change her number without her mother knowing, because the constant phone calls were beginning to get _very_ annoying.

* * *

**035. Coffee Time at Morty's**

"So, let me get this straight," Morty said, bringing two cups of hot coffee over to the table. He set one down in front of Eusine before taking his own seat, too used to the way Eusine poured sugar and cream into his coffee to be bothered by it anymore (Morty took his black, but even if he didn't, he didn't see a reason for half a bowl of sugar - but then, there wasn't much reason for why Eusine did the things he did, and Morty had accepted that long ago). "You flat out _told_ Lyra that you were stalking her?"

"Of course I didn't say that I was _stalking_ her," Eusine said, rolling his eyes. "I merely told her that I realized that Suicune would turn up wherever she did, and that I would find Suicune. I figured that she would put the rest together by herself."

". . . Did she?" Morty was almost afraid to hear the answer. For all he knew, the next words out of his mouth were going to be that Eusine had a restraining order against him that he was just planning to break the next day.

"I think she did, but it didn't seem to really bother her. She simply said 'Oh' and let me continue talking." Eusine grinned triumphantly, and Morty sighed. "I told her about how my grandfather told me all about Suicune, and how I had devoted my life to finally meeting Suicune. I figured that would accomplish both of my tasks."

"Which are?"

"One, it will make _you_ stop accusing me of "stalking" Lyra. It isn't exactly stalking if she knows I'm there." Morty disagreed, but took a sip of his coffee rather than interrupting. "Two, it will convince Lyra to back off. Suicune is _mine_, and I refuse to let her interfere with that. She can be the bait, but nothing more."

"You're not going to use her as bait." Morty looked seriously over at Eusine over the top of his coffee mug, but found that Eusine found the ceiling to be much more interesting. "Eusine . . ."

"It's not as if I'm going to be throwing her into harm's way or anything," Eusine reasoned. "It's just - listen, Morty, you of all people should understand. This girl . . . for whatever inconceivable reason, Suicune has singled out this girl. Or, at the very least, Lyra has the tendency to somehow stumble upon Suicune. That means that so long as I keep an eye on Lyra, I can keep an eye on Suicune - I can get _close_. I _need_ to get close, and it isn't just for _my_ benefit. You want to understand the mysteries of the Ecruteak legends just as badly as I do."

"Of course I do. Researching the legends isn't just my job as Gym Leader - it's the reason I _became_ Gym Leader. But all the same . . ."

"There's nothing more to be said for it. Besides, Lyra can take care of herself. She did best both of us, after all, which is rather embarrassing even if it is true." Eusine dropped another spoonful of sugar into his coffee, and Morty wrinkled his nose.

"Don't you think that's enough sugar, Eusine?"

"Trying to change the subject to avoid reminiscing about your loss?" Eusine countered, and Morty rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm just beginning to think you're going to end up a diabetic."

"I burn off all the sugar by chasing Suicune."

"It doesn't work that way, Eusine."

"Inevitably, it will, just as I will inevitably meet Suicune."

"No, it won't - you can't change your biology simply because you have the inability to drink good coffee as it is. But whatever," Morty said, holding up one hand to stop Eusine's rebuttal. "Do what you want. Just know that when the day comes when you're unable to eat anything but the vegetables you refuse on a regular basis, I will be there to laugh in your face and eat a giant ice-cream sundae. With sprinkles."

"And people say _I'm_ the immature one," Eusine said. Morty chuckled, taking another sip of his coffee.

"That's just because next to you, _anyone_ would look sane, reasonable, and mature."


	4. Set Four

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Four**

**

* * *

**

**036. Espionage**

Most people would have thought to call the police when a highly dangerous criminal organization decided to hijack an influential radio tower in the region's most populated city. Most people wouldn't have thought to infiltrate the Radio Tower and take the aforementioned criminal organization by storm. But then, Lyra supposed, she wasn't "most people," and besides, she _had_ always loved playing make-believe and dressing up.

"You're a new recruit?" The Rocket grunt said skeptically, watching her approach. Dean was walking alongside her, as Lyra had figured that a dark-type would better blend, and he bared his fangs at the Rocket grunt.

"You bet," Lyra said, raising her chin in a subconscious imitation of Will. "I was told to come down here for my uniform since they ran out of them upstairs. You _do_ have one, right?" Before giving the grunt a chance to answer, Lyra continued. "Because if you don't, Executive Ariana said that she'd speak to you personally. She didn't seem too happy to hear that they were out of the uniforms upstairs."

"N - No! We've got one! Just hang on!" The grunt seemed to pale at the thought of facing Ariana's temper, and ran into the back room to grab a uniform. When he returned, Lyra caught the clothes he threw at her, and then raised an eyebrow.

"Can I go into the back to change? I don't want you seeing everything."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Just step through there." The grunt stepped aside and Lyra walked through, Dean snapping at the grunt's heels as he passed. "Sorry the uniform's a bit big," the grunt called just before she shut the door. "We just only had male uniforms left."

"That's fine," Lyra said, and then - thinking better of her polite tone, added, "Whatever," before snapping the door shut. In a way, it was good that the uniform was a bit baggy, as it allowed her to simply pull the uniform on overtop her ordinary clothes, stuffing her usual hat into her bag and pulling on the Rocket cap. Though she had no real intentions of joining Team Rocket, Lyra had to admit that she looked kind of cool when she looked in the mirror.

"We should do things like this more often, Dean," she said, looking down to her Umbreon with a grin. "After all, the thrill of this makes it kind of fun!" Dean nodded his agreement, his expression one of fierce excitement.

* * *

**037. Unacceptable**

If it wasn't Mahogany Town, then it was Goldenrod City.

Will felt like he was being pulled in every single different direction. All he wanted to do was live his life as a Pokèmon trainer free from Team Rocket. But how could he do that when they went around harassing the people of Johto? Will wanted to tell himself that it wasn't his problem and be done with it, but the fact was, it _was_ his problem. Giovanni was his father. Ariana was his mother. They were his parents, and even if _he_ vowed to leave Team Rocket behind and never deal with them again, he still couldn't just ignore what they were doing. He had to stop it.

So, once again, he put his training on hold and went to stop them. Shoved grunts aside and went into the Radio Tower, heading directly for the stairs. One grunt was already going up them, but she froze as he neared, one hand on the handle and her face turned toward the wall, her Umbreon standing as inconspicuously as possible by her side. Will ignored her, and instead focused on the grunt facing him.

"Hey, Team Rocket!" he shouted. "Why don't you cowards stop going around in groups and - Huh?" Will stopped mid-speech, eyes widening.

Wait. Umbreon? Since when did Team Rocket grunts have Pokèmon as powerful as Umbreon?

Will pushed the male grunt out of the way, ignoring the grumble he received in response, and the female grunt turned even further away from him, hiding her face. "Aren't you . . . Lyra?" Will asked, ignoring the warning growls the Umbreon was giving him. It didn't matter. Will knew that Umbreon just like he knew the brown pigtails sticking out from under the black hat. Adrenaline started making his heart pound faster, and Will felt something icy and weighty drop into the bottom of his stomach. "No way . . . You didn't . . ."

"Will," Lyra hissed, loud enough for him to hear but not for the other grunt to catch. "Stop it. Don't -"

"What, you think you're stronger now that you joined _them_?" Will demanded, his voice rising uncontrollably. He shouldn't have left her there. Of course, Will had thought that Lyra was in Mahogany to _stop_ Team Rocket, especially if she was there with that Dragon _Freak_, but evidently she'd ended up _joining_ them instead. She'd joined the organization that _he'd_ run away from, become another pawn in the game, another dog at the end of his father's (or mother's, he supposed, since his father was AWOL) leash. No, no, _no_! He wouldn't stand for it. He _wouldn't_. It was beyond distasteful; it was downright _unacceptable_. "How stupid are you? How stupid do you have to be to put on that uniform?"

"Will -!"

"Take it off," Will demanded, and he could almost feel himself shaking. "Take off that stupid uniform right now!"

"What? No, Will -!"

Will reached out without really thinking and swiped the cap off her head, thereafter grabbing at her shirt. Lyra struggled and tried to push him off, her Umbreon leaping to her defense, but Will kicked at the Pokèmon before ripping the thin fabric off her body. It wasn't until he'd pulled the shirt off her that he realized how lucky he was that she'd simply pulled the uniform over her normal clothes. The thought of what he _could_ have seen made his face grow hot.

So distracted was he by that thought that the other grunt was able to shove him out of the way, towering over Lyra, who offered a sheepish 'oops?' sort of smile in response.

"You're not really a new recruit? Well, this is as far as you go! I'll teach you a lesson for trying to sneak into Team Rocket!" The Rocket grunt pulled out a Pokèball, sending out his Raticate, and before Lyra could even give the command her Umbreon jumped forward, knocking the rat to the ground.

Will watched the battle unfold, but he didn't really pay attention to it - too much relief was flooding through him for that. Lyra hadn't joined Team Rocket at all - she was merely trying to infiltrate them - to trick them. Will, one to always go in with guns blazing, had never really considered subterfuge. But Lyra had, and she hadn't joined Team Rocket, and she . . . she was still everything he'd come to expect from her over the time of knowing her.

Will released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, leaning against the wall as he saw her Umbreon go after the second Raticate. Once the battle finished and the grunt scurried off, of course, it would be back to business - he'd have to say something to her to cover up for his mistake, and would have to go after Team Rocket himself. But for now . . . For now he could relax, at least for the second, and just enjoy the comforting sense of crushing relief.

* * *

**038. Power, Or a Lack Thereof**

"I thought it might be you."

Will froze, halfway up another staircase. He knew the voice without turning around - would have recognized it in his sleep. But he also knew that he couldn't just continue on as if he hadn't heard - couldn't act as if her voice didn't make every muscle in his body turn to easily shattered ice. Slowly, reluctantly, completely on guard, Will turned to face his mother.

"When I heard about a child infiltrating our forces," Ariana went on, looking idly at one of the rings on her fingers, "I thought it might be you."

"It isn't _just_ me," Will said, standing with his back straight and chin raised. Ariana smirked, looking up at him at last.

"No," she agreed, and Will tried not to let it show that her prior knowledge bothered him. "That girl is also here, isn't she? The one from the Mahogany Town base. What was her name . . . Lizzie? Lina?"

"Lyra." Will rolled his eyes. "If you're going to say her name, get it right."

"Hmph. The name of a pathetic little trainer doesn't really matter much." Will grit his teeth, looking away, biting back the urge to fire a retort. "But if _you're_ going to talk to your mother, do so with respect in your tone. I already let you get away with far too much, Will. I'm really not in the mood to deal with your insolence today."

"Maybe I would, if you gave me reason to respect you," Will fired back, gaze snapping back to her. Ariana glared at him. "But you haven't. You never have, and you never will. Not so long as you keep up with this Team Rocket business. Ordering the grunts around like dogs while you act the same way for Father."

Ariana pulled back one hand as if to slap him, but Will took a step back, pulling his Feraligatr's Pokèball from his pocket. Ariana stopped, catching the action, and then she chuckled.

"Do you think that you could battle me?" she asked, raising one eyebrow. Will didn't move or respond. "Even if you _have_ managed to acquire some Pokèmon by now, there's no way you could ever battle me and win, Will. You would never succeed."

"Don't be so sure," Will said quietly. "I've obtained Pokèmon that are far stronger than the weaklings Team Rocket members are issued - than the weaklings that Father _allowed_ you to possess." Ariana's mocking smile melted into a glare instead. "I have no doubt that my Pokèmon could tear yours to shreds."

Ariana chuckled again, shaking her head in pity. Will fought the urge to take a step back as she walked forward, reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Foolish boy," she said. "It doesn't matter what Pokèmon you have. Really, have you forgotten everything your Father and I ever taught you?"

"You taught me something?" Will asked before he could help himself, and received a slap across his face for his efforts. This time he _did_ step back, and raised his Pokèball in defense. "Don't hit me!"

"Then don't talk back," Ariana snapped in reply. "Pokèmon are only tools, Will - tools to carry out your commands. They are only as strong as the hand that wields them, and you?" Ariana scoffed. "You are weak."

"No, I'm not," Will snapped, but Ariana countered quickly.

"Yes, you are. You're a scared, weak little boy who's constantly running away - running scared from everything and everyone. That's why you ran away from home, isn't it? Because you were _scared_? Because you couldn't _handle_ it?"

"No!" Will gripped his Feraligatr's Pokèball so tightly his knuckles turned white. "You don't know anything at all if you still think that! I left because I . . . because I . . . !"

"Because you couldn't handle it," Ariana supplied, leaning against the wall and folding her arms. "Because you were weak and you were scared. Even now you can't handle it, Will. Even now you lack power, and are not strong enough to face me. After all, if you had power, you would not have hesitated. If you had power, I would never have been able to lay a single hand on you." Will's eyes widened, and Ariana looked away. "I could finish you here," she continued. "My Arbok would likely have no problems tearing through your Pokèmon. I won't, however. As you are now, you aren't worth the effort."

Her words didn't hurt. They didn't sting any worse than the lingering sting on his cheek from her hand. Even so, Will put his Feraligatr's Pokèball away, turning to head back the way he came. Archer was up ahead, he knew, but so what? He had other opponents to face, like the Dragon Tamer and -

"Oh, Will?"

Will stopped at the door, looking over his shoulder. "What?"

"As your mother, I have one final piece of advice." Will set his jaw at her smirk. "Stop associating with that girl. She isn't good for you."

"What?" This time Will did turn fully to face her, and Ariana rolled her eyes.

"_Lyra_," she sneered, mocking his tone from earlier. "I heard from some of the grunts that you were seen speaking with her in Mahogany, and your reaction to her mention earlier confirmed anything I needed to know. Stay away from her. Associating with weaklings will only serve to make you weaker."

Will opened his mouth to reply, yet then closed it again, finding it difficult to choose words. Finally, he managed, "Shut up and stay out of my life. I want nothing to do with you, and what I do is none of your business," before he turned and stormed out.

His mother could say whatever she wanted. He didn't care, and he wouldn't listen. After all, he had to battle - and defeat - Lyra. And that meant "associating" with her, whatever his mother thought.

* * *

**039. Contradiction**

"Why? Why do I lose?"

For once, Will didn't sound angry. He didn't sound rough or rash or hostile. He merely sounded confused, and almost . . . heartbroken. Lyra frowned as she watched him recall his fainted Pokèmon, staring numbly at the sphere that he held in his hands.

"I've assembled the strongest Pokèmon . . . I . . . I try so hard, so why? Is what the Dragon Tamer said really true? Is it because I don't love and trust my Pokèmon enough?"

"No," Lyra said quietly, and at first she thought that he didn't hear her. He merely continued staring at his Pokèball, and it wasn't until a moment later that he looked up at her, blinking, that she realized he'd heard her after all.

"What?"

"What Lance said isn't true - not really." Lyra took a few steps closer, even though Byrnison growled against it. "You're . . . You're really harsh, Will, and really strict with your Pokèmon, but I've noticed something."

"What?" Will asked again, though with less surprise and more trepidation this time. Lyra stopped right in front of him, fidgeting with her hands, but meeting his eyes regardless.

"You've never gotten rid of your Pokèmon to get new ones," she said simply. "You always say that you will - that you'll just get stronger Pokèmon, Pokèmon that are "less worthless." But you never do. Your Feraligatr evolved from the Totodile you had when I first met you, didn't it?" Will said nothing. "You've kept that Pokèmon all this time - worked with it, trained it. And your Pokèmon try so hard for _you_. You're strict with them, but I don't think you _abuse_ them. They don't seem to hate you, Will. They seem to really trust you."

Will stayed silent a moment more before he made a derisive sound in the back of his throat, turning away. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said, voice thick. "You don't know anything about me, so who are you to judge? I . . . I need to train more. That's it. I just need to train more, and then I'll beat you _and_ that Dragon Tamer."

"Will -"

"No," he interrupted harshly. "Stop it. Don't talk to me. Not until we battle again. Not until I beat you."

Lyra wanted to argue - to push him farther, like perhaps she might have Ethan. After all, Ethan always opened up if she prodded him enough, and always seemed to feel better after venting. But Will wasn't like Ethan, not at all; he seemed to be Ethan's total opposite, vulnerable in a dangerous way, like a powder keg left too close to a lit match. So Lyra nodded and put her hands behind her back, watching him sadly. "Okay," she acquiesced. "See you around, Will."

Will didn't answer her. Instead, he left, slamming the door behind him. Lyra put one hand on Byrnison's head, shaking her head as she turned back to continue her trek through the basement.

Maybe someday Will would open up to her.

Or, at least, she hoped so.

* * *

**040. Disapproval On Principle**

There was nothing overtly impressive about the girl before her. The hat she wore was huge, she wore rather basic overalls that were cut off to be shorts, and she had ordinary brown hair and brown eyes. Nothing too impressive or special.

But she was strong - she had power. Her Pokèmon were strong too, of course, and their training showed in their movements, but Lyra commanded her Pokèmon with power and certainty. The girl was still ordinary, especially in looks, but . . .

"Your power is admirable," Ariana told her, recalling her fainted Pokèmon. "If you were to join Team Rocket, you could even be an executive."

"Sorry," Lyra said. "Not interested." Ariana smirked, and shook her head.

"Of course you're not," she said, partly to herself. Tilting her head back, she appraised the girl further. "But that power . . . I admire that. It would almost be enough to make you good enough, except . . . you're still not."

"Huh?" Lyra frowned. "Good enough for what?" Ariana didn't answer her, and instead merely turned, walking to leave the room.

"Archer is up ahead," she said. "Be ready." In truth, Ariana knew that Lyra would likely defeat Archer, accomplishing exactly what Will had been going to do before Ariana had stopped him. But even if Lyra did - even if Lyra was able to prove that she had power greater than that of the Team Rocket executives - it still wouldn't be enough.

Because whatever relationship Ariana had with Will, he was _still_ her son, and no average girl would ever really be good enough for him in Ariana's eyes.

* * *

**041. One More Thing**

Lyra was fine with accepting only words of thanks for what she did for the Radio Tower - really, she was. But when the Director stopped and turned back to her, saying "one more thing" and handing her the Silver Wing, she wasn't going to turn it down.

But when he stopped a second time, once again citing, "One more thing!" she was beginning to wonder if she was going to be there all day.

"If you take it to the Whirl Islands, you should be able to reach a special Pokèmon there," he said, voice grave. "However, I hear you'll need more than that Silver Wing to reach it . . ." He turned away again, starting toward the door, and Lyra tucked the Silver Wing into her bag, shrugging at Dean.

"One more thing!"

Lyra fought the urge to groan, but forced a smile regardless. "Yes?"

". . . Actually, there are no more things," he said, smiling kindly at her. "Have a good day!" He turned and headed back toward the stairs, and Lyra sighed, looking down at Dean again.

"I wonder what he meant by needing something else?" she wondered aloud. "Maybe I'll need a compass of some kind? Maybe a special one made out of gold or something . . ." Dean gave her a strange look and tilted his head, and Lyra laughed. "Yeah, you're right. That does sound pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? Next thing you know Will would get a special knife that could cut anything and Ethan would end up with a spyglass made out of amber or something. C'mon, let's get going."

* * *

**042. Everybody Was Ice Puzzle Fighting**

Lyra should have known better than to let Dean and Sam both out of their Pokèballs.

"Dean! Sam! Come on, knock it off!" she yelled, but it was no use. The Ice Cavern was like a giant playground as far as they were concerned, and when they weren't knocking each other across the ice, they were bounding through the snow, using their paws and tails to knock it into each other's faces. As she watched, Dean knocked a rather large snowball into Sam's face, and Sam retaliated by tackling Dean, sending them both across the ice again.

It was freezing in the Ice Cavern, and Lyra wanted to get out and go get some hot cocoa. She knew she should just recall them, but . . .

Sam scampered across the ice, playfully bounding into Dean, and Dean flipped Sam over, pinning him to the ice while barking what Lyra thought was a laugh.

Well, it was cold, but she could let them have their fun for at least a few more minutes.

* * *

**043. Someone To Look Up To**

Clair was _fierce_. There was no other way to describe her.

She was strong, powerful, and intimidating. Clair walked with her head held high and spoke with words that stung like a whiplash. From the instant Lyra walked up to challenge Clair, Lyra knew that Clair was not one to be trifled with in any way, shape, or form. Whereas Whitney was playful and Jasmine was timid, Clair's presence demanded attention and punished those who didn't give it. Lyra admired that about Clair, and wondered if she would ever be able to emulate it - wondered if she would ever be able to command that kind of presence.

But when Clair refused to hand over the Rising Badge, Lyra couldn't help but frown in dismay.

"But I won," she said, and blushed when she realized how childish the words sounded. "The rules of the League state that you have to hand over the badge when -"

"I don't care what the rules state. You don't deserve it," Clair said bluntly, and even though the words didn't work in her favor, Lyra had to admire the brashness of Clair's tone. "If going to the Dragon's Den is too much for you, then I guess I can't help you, but it _does_ prove my point."

Recognizing the challenge in Clair's eyes, Lyra recalled Hydra and straightened her posture. "I'll go." After all, if someone else had set the challenge before Clair, would Clair have refused it? Lyra didn't think so. And even more than the badge, Lyra wanted Clair's respect. So, with her head held high, Lyra turned to leave the Gym.

* * *

**044. On The Matter of Honor**

"So, Grandfather told me that you threw a fit over having to hand over the Rising Badge a couple days ago."

"Lance?" Clair whipped around, staring in shock at the door to her private training room. Lance stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, his Dragonite present behind him. Clair's expression hardened, and she folded her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "I never invited you. Get out."

"Can't a guy visit his cousin?" Lance asked, walking in regardless of Clair's words. Clair had half a mind to hit him - to strike him hard across the face with her fist (because only sissy girls who weren't worthy of being dragon masters hit open-handed) - but she refrained. Barely. "I decided to stop in Blackthorn for a couple days for some vacation time, and I visited Grandfather while I was here. He said that you didn't want to give the Rising Badge to Lyra." Lance tilted his head. "Is that true?"

"You speak as if you know her personally," Clair said instead, and a little smile quirked Lance's lips. Clair hated that smile. That all-knowing, I-know-what-you-don't smile.

"I do," he said, and once again Clair felt her expression shift to surprise. "She helped me defeat Team Rocket in Mahogany Town. Well, she did most of the work, really. I just observed her."

"You mean that you let her do all the work," Clair said, and when Lance shrugged, she snorted. "Typical. Golden Boy Lance never does anything by himself."

"That isn't true and you know it," Lance sighed. "Look, Clair, I didn't want to believe it when Grandfather told me you refused to hand over the badge, but -"

"If you're here to lecture me, save it," Clair snapped, temper flaring. "The last thing I need is to hear one of your lectures. I'm a grown woman, Lance, and I'm fully capable of making my own decisions and doing as I please. I do _not_ need you to lecture me like a child."

"You act like a child, though, which perfectly warrants a lecture," Lance retorted, and Clair clenched her fists. "Clair, I don't wish to fight with you, but I do want you to know something. It's important."

"What?" Clair barely managed to make her voice sound less like a snarl and more like a human uttering a word.

"You didn't damage your honor by handing over that badge. It might have felt like it hurt your wild pride, but you gave the badge to a good person. She'll do well." Clair scoffed at Lance's words, turning away.

"You say that with such certainty. You didn't battle her, Lance, and observing a battle and participating in it are two completely different things. She's a child, completely unprepared for what lies ahead."

"True," Lance agreed. "But I think that her naivety is her strength."

Clair looked over her shoulder to see Lance heading for the door again, and she frowned. "Leaving already?" Not that she didn't want him gone, but all the same . . .

"I wanted to see the rest of the city before I left," Lance said, and he looked back to offer a smile. "Shall I come back for a battle before I leave?"

"What, you want to be destroyed?"

"I want to see you try."

"Hmph. Do as you will."

Lance chuckled. "I'll see to it that I do."

* * *

**045. Interrogation**

"Look, have you seen Lyra or not?"

"Not recently, no." Ethan frowned, taking a step back from the cape-wearing man before him - Eusine, apparently, from the name he'd barked when Ethan had asked. "Why do you ask?" Ethan was beginning to think that the man was a deranged stalker who just might be out to murder his best friend, and he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Because I need to find her," Eusine said, his words rushed. "Because I lost track of her, and I can't _believe_ I lost track of her, and I _have_ to find her because if I don't, I might miss my chance!"

Definitely a crazed, psycho, potential murderer. "Miss your chance for _what_?"

"For Suicune!"

Or not. ". . . Suicune?"

"A legendary Pokèmon - look, it's not impor- well, yes, it's _very_ important, but I don't have time to explain." Eusine got closer again, right into Ethan's face and - quite honestly - personal space bubble. "You're friends with Lyra, aren't you? Do you have her phone number?"

Ethan hesitated. On the one hand, he _did_ have Lyra's number. On the other, while this man claimed to be searching for a legendary Pokèmon, Ethan still wasn't fully convinced that said man wasn't insane, and Ethan didn't really want to set insane people on his best friend. "Uh . . ."

"It's a simple question," Eusine nearly growled. Growled! What sort of person _was_ he? "Do you have her number or not? If not, I'm pretty sure I know where she lives. New Bark Town isn't that large; I could figure it out."

"You'd stalk her all the way to her _house_?" Ethan asked, his eyes widening. Mari made a sound of disapproval by his feet. Eusine threw up his hands.

"Why is everyone accusing me of stalking her?"

"Probably because you are." Ethan and Eusine both turned to see the Gym Leader Morty striding through the doors of the Pokèmon Center, a Haunter materializing beside him. "Haunter told me what was going on," he said by way of explanation. "Honestly, Eusine, give it a rest. Stop harassing kids."

"I'm not harassing him, I'm trying to get information," Eusine retorted, folding his arms. "I'm just lucky he managed to wander into Ecruteak City. Lucky . . . No, blessed by destiny! This is just another step to finding Suicune that fate has so generously handed me!"

"No, I'd chalk it up to luck. Good for you, bad for him." Morty shook his head, and gave Ethan an apologetic smile. "You can go, kid. In fact, I'd suggest you go. Fast and far. I'll hold him off while you run."

"You're talking like I'm going to kill him, Morty."

"With you it's hard to tell, Eusine."

"Uh . . . Thanks?" Truth be told, Ethan was beyond confused by this point. He could deduce that Eusine and Morty were friends - probably - but _why_ they were friends eluded him. The only other time Ethan had talked to Morty was during his Gym Battle, but they seemed to be as different as night and day. How could the two of them ever be friends? "I guess I'll . . . Uh . . . Bye."

"Not so fast!" Eusine ran around to block Ethan's path, and Mari puffed herself up with water, ready to shoot. "You have Lyra's number, don't you? Give it to me!"

"Eusine!" Morty grabbed Eusine's arm, dragging him back. "Even if he did give you her number, what are you going to do, call her and ask her for her location?"

"No, I'd call her and ask her if she's seen Suicune, and use GPS to trace her phone while I was at it."

"You have no possible way of doing that."

"Don't doubt what I can do, Morty."

"Sometimes you scare me when you say things like that." Morty looked over to Ethan, and then jerked his head toward the door. "Go! I'll hold him off!"

Ethan didn't really know if he should be afraid of Eusine or not, but he _did_ know that he was feeling incredibly bewildered. So while Eusine struggled against Morty, seeming to turn the struggle into some sort of wrestling match, Ethan took off, heading out of the doors to the Pokèmon Center with Mari racing along ahead of him.

"Lyra picks up the weirdest people," he said to himself, glancing back in the direction of the Pokèmon Center once. "First that juggler, and now this guy . . . How in the world does she do it?"


	5. Set Five

**Authors' Note: **Sorry about the length of 47. It's one of those that's really more of a one-shot than anything else, but that's because it's so emotion-heavy. Sorry about that. Also, as a general rule, I'm against the idea of actually capturing Legendaries, so no Legendary Pokèmon will ever be captured in these drabbles. I just feel like, if they were real, they would be far too powerful to capture, and so I want that to reflect in my writing as well.

* * *

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Five**

**

* * *

**

**046. Aerodynamics**

Like any normal trainer, when Lyra saw that there was a shortcut between Blackthorn City and New Bark Town on her Pokègear, she decided to take it. After all, if she didn't, then the trek back would take _forever_, and as much as Lyra liked Johto, she didn't really need to backtrack through all of it again. So, after making sure that her supplies were well-stocked and that she and her Pokèmon were well-rested, Lyra set off.

Of course, what she wasn't counting on was the loose footing. Blackthorn City was built up on a mountain, and so the path leading from Blackthorn to New Bark was down the rocky slope and across a few bridges. This was fine, and wasn't anything unexpected. What _was_ unexpected was the way the ground crumbled underneath her feet when Lyra hopped down to the next ledge, and the way Byrnison's large paws missed her as she slipped and fell down the mountain face, a scream breaking from her throat.

But just as unexpected as the sudden fall was the sudden rescue. Her Typhlosion had been left up on the mountain, and though he barreled down the mountain to get to her, he couldn't make it in time. Instead, Lyra found herself suddenly laying on the back of a large steel bird, one that craned its neck to turn back and look at her with one yellow eye. Lyra straightened up, staring in wonder at the Skarmory that had rescued her.

"Do you have a trainer?" she asked in awe. After all, why would a wild Skarmory save her? Wouldn't a wild Pokèmon rather eat her or something?

The Skarmory shook its head in a _no_ before depositing her back where Byrnison was, dropping her rather unceremoniously back into the dirt (though she wasn't hurt). She put one hand near Byrnison's neck, assuring him that she was okay, before looking back to the Skarmory. The Skarmory circled in the air a few times before swooping back down, staring levelly at Lyra.

"Byrnison," she said, "are you ready to add this guy to our team?" Byrnison nodded once, his gaze just as fierce upon the Skarmory. "Good. Flame Wheel!"

* * *

**047. Never Change**

"There was a Kimono Girl here looking for you!"

The announcement made Lyra's eyes widen, and she exchanged a look with Pantalaimon, who stared up at her in wonder. "Really?" she asked. The last Kimono Girl she'd seen was in the Ice Path, but just like all the others (or maybe it was the same one), she'd disappeared as soon as she'd left. "Did she say what she wanted?"

"She said she wanted you to go to the Dance Theatre in Ecruteak City." It was Ethan who spoke, and when Lyra looked at him, he gave her a smile that was far too sunny to be natural. "Everyone's talking about you, Lyra!" he said. "It's . . . You're really popular!"

"Yeah, I . . . guess." Lyra frowned, turning fully to face him. "Ethan, what - hey, Ethan!"

Ethan spun on his heel and bolted for the door, dodging around one of Professor Elm's aides as he charged out of the lab. Lyra gave Professor Elm one apologetic smile before she ran after. If need-be, she'd track Ethan back to his house, or follow him all the way out of New Bark Town, but one way or another, she _was_ going to talk to him. He'd been avoiding her for awhile, after all, and she'd had enough.

As it turned out, however, she didn't have to track him far. Ethan was sitting on the ground a few paces away from Professor Elm's lab, Mari standing in front of him, her paws on his knee. Ethan didn't seem to notice Lyra approach, and with a frown she sat down behind him, her back against his.

"I wonder what a Kimono Girl wants with you . . ." Ethan said quietly, before she even had a chance to say anything. Lyra tilted her head back, looking up at the sky.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I've been seeing them everywhere. Actually, I kind of assumed it was the same girl . . . and that maybe she was a ghost or something." Ethan choked back a laugh.

"A ghost?"

"Well, she'd always just disappear as soon as she was out of sight, so I didn't really know _what_ to think." Silence fell between them for a heartbeat before Lyra took a deep breath. "Ethan -"

"Lyra," Ethan interrupted, and Lyra closed her mouth. "I - I'm scared."

"Scared?" Lyra's brow furrowed. "Of what?"

"Of . . . Of what's happening. Of what could happen." Ethan's hands sought hers out, and Lyra entwined her fingers with his, letting him hold hers tight - tight enough to be secure, but not tight enough to hurt. "Everything just seems to be happening so fast, to be spinning out of control, and - and I'm worried, because you seem to be right at the middle of it."

"Ethan . . ."

"I know it seems like I'm never around," he continued, "and like I probably don't have a clue about what's going on. And in some ways, I don't. I always just hear about things after they happen, like about how you stopped Team Rocket, or how you have some kind of bond to that legendary Pokèmon Suicune."

"You've met Eusine, haven't you?" Lyra asked.

"Yeah. He's . . . different."

"Yeah," Lyra said, chuckling wryly. "That's one way of putting it."

"But the point is, Lyra," Ethan continued seriously, "I just . . . It feels like there's just something bigger going on here, you know? I just have a really bad feeling that something's going to happen and we're not going to be able to stop it. You have Kimono Girls looking for you and that Eusine guy stalking you and now you're on Team Rocket's hit list . . . I just . . . I'm sorry." Lyra closed her eyes, biting down on her bottom lip. He genuinely sounded apologetic. But then again, he _was_ Ethan. "Sincere" was practically his middle name. "I'm sorry I've been avoiding you, I just . . . I just don't really know what to do."

"Ethan . . ." Lyra squeezed his hands gently, yet then released one of them, turning around so that she could sit in front of him instead (Mari, fortunately, bounded quickly out of the way). Once she was positioned in front of him, Lyra took his other hand again, holding both of his hands in hers. "Ethan, you don't have to worry."

"I don't?" he asked, doubt filling his amber eyes. Lyra shook her head.

"No, you don't. I know . . . I know there's something weird going on here. Me and Pan have talked about it before, awhile ago. But I don't think it's anything necessarily _bad_, and anything that happens, well . . . I can handle it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well, for starters, I've already taken care of Team Rocket a few times. They're not so tough," Lyra said, smiling. "And it's not like I ever really take care of them alone. I mean, I could, but I think Will would have a problem with that. He really hates Team Rocket and always ends up showing up wherever they are. For another, Eusine is . . . really weird, but I think he's mostly harmless. I battled him once and he was easy to beat. He just really wants to find Suicune. And finally, with the Kimono Girls . . . They seem like good people. I don't think they'd put me in harm's way or anything."

"But those are all just pieces to a bigger puzzle, and I feel like it's impossible to see what that bigger puzzle is. Without knowing what's coming, how can we prepare for it? And, Lyra," Ethan's breath hitched, and he looked away. "I know it doesn't concern me," he said quietly. "At least, not directly. But it concerns _you_, and _that_ concerns me. I . . . I don't want anything to happen to you, Lyra."

Lyra felt her heart break. All this time, she'd thought he was just avoiding her. And, well, he _was_, but not for the reasons she thought. To think she'd been ready to chew him out and give him a piece of her mind . . . "Ethan," Lyra said, firmly but gently, "nothing is going to happen to me." Ethan looked back at her, and Lyra leaned a little closer. "I mean it. No matter what happens, no matter how much time passes, I'll never change. I'll always be the same Lyra, your very best friend."

"You can't promise something like that," he replied softly. "You don't know what'll happen between now and . . . whenever."

"Not exactly, no, but I know who I am. And even after all this time, I'm still the girl who beat you in mud wrestling matches every time we had them and the same girl who helped you try to defend New Bark Town from what we thought were aliens."

Ethan chuckled. "I remember that," he said. "Turns out they were just some Pokèmon researcher friends of Professor Elm's. And you didn't always "beat" me at mud wrestling. I let you win."

"Don't try to save your ego now, Ethan. You and I both know who won, and I could still beat you with one hand tied behind my back." Lyra playfully stuck her tongue out at him, and Ethan rolled his eyes.

"You could not."

"Could so."

"Could _not_."

"Could _so_, but that's not the point." Lyra fixed Ethan with a serious look again. "The point is, Ethan, that this," she indicated the space between them, "will never change. Ever."

Ethan locked eyes with her, quiet for several heartbeats. Then he said, "Promise?"

Lyra smiled. "Promise." Releasing both of his hands, Lyra pushed herself forward and wrapped her arms around him, Ethan returning the embrace immediately. "We'll always be best friends," she whispered. "No matter what."

"And you know," Ethan said, putting his hands on Lyra's shoulders as she pulled away, "it doesn't matter what time it is, or where you are, or where I am or what I'm doing. If you ever need my help, you know you can just call, right? I'll come help you, no matter what."

"Of course I do. And the same holds true in reverse, you know. Phone lines go both ways. Never hesitate to call, Ethan."

"I won't, so long as you don't, either." Ethan looked down, biting his lip, yet then a second later looked back up. "Lyra, there's something I want to t -"

"Hey, Ethan!" Ethan and Lyra turned to look at Ethan's father, who'd walked around their house to wave to his son. "Come over here for a sec! There's something I want you to take a look at!"

Making an indignant squeak, Mari raced over to Ethan's father, chewing him out in her own language before she even reached him. Lyra giggled at Mari's ire, yet then looked to Ethan, shrugging her shoulders as she stood up.

"I should probably get going anyway," she said, recalling Pantalaimon and releasing her new Skarmory, Scoresby. "A date with destiny and all that."

"Y - Yeah." Ethan stood up as well, brushing himself off. He offered her a small smile. "You'll be careful, right?"

"Of course I will! I'm always careful." At his look, Lyra grinned sheepishly. "Most of the time."

Ethan laughed a little, and nodded. "Yeah, well, I'm guilty of the same, so I guess I can't really talk." He reached out as if to put a hand on her shoulder, yet then seemed to change his mind and rubbed the back of his neck instead. "So, uh . . . See you later, Lyra."

"Yeah. See you, Ethan." Lyra climbed onto Scoresby's back, the Skarmory stretching out his large metal wings. "Ready, Scoresby? We're headed to Ecruteak City!" With a metallic cry Scoresby pushed off from the ground, and Lyra twisted back just in time to see Ethan heading toward his house, Mari running back to jump into his arms. She knew she had to go to Ecruteak City to see what the Kimono Girls wanted, and Lyra didn't regret leaving. Even so, as she looked back to the horizon, she let her head drop a little bit, a sigh leaving her lips.

Just once, Lyra wished she could have taken Ethan with her.

* * *

**048. Faith**

It was dark by the time she reached Ecruteak City, and so Lyra was taken by complete surprise at first when someone barreled out of the Dance Theatre and crashed into her, knocking her to the ground.

"Lyra?" Lyra looked up and met the surprised gaze of Will, who stared at her in almost dazed shock. "You were watching me, weren't you?"

"What? No! I just got here." Lyra pushed herself up, brushing the dirt off her overalls, and Will looked back at the Dance Theatre, uncertainty clouding his features.

"They're really strong," he said. "I . . . I never thought _Kimono Girls_ could be so strong, but they absolutely pulverized me."

"You battled them?" Lyra looked around Will, inspecting the Dance Theatre in a new light. "I didn't even know they had Pokèmon."

"Well, they do. A team of Eeveelutions." Will looked back at Lyra, and she found that his gaze was as fierce and hard as ever, as though he was appraising her under some code that she hadn't even known existed. "You're going to battle them, aren't you?" he asked, even though it wasn't really much of a question. At her silence he turned, and took a few steps away. "Then I'm leaving. I don't want to stick around to see you win."

". . . You think I'll win?" Lyra asked softly, taking a step closer to him. In truth, she was surprised she managed to even get the words out, what with the way shock was vibrating through her like a strummed rubber band. Will didn't look at her, but instead shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders tense.

"Don't you always?"

Lyra wanted to answer him - to say no, to say that sometimes she lost, to point out that she wasn't the amazing, glorious trainer that some people seemed inclined to make her out to be. But the fact that he seemed to have _faith_ in her left her rooted to the spot, eyes wide and riveted upon him, as if he was some make-believe phantom that would vanish the second she looked away.

"I have to go," he said, and those words snapped her out of her daze - especially when he started running.

"Wait!" she called, taking off after him. "Will! Wait!" But it was no use; Will kept running, and Lyra slowed to a stop, knowing that it was useless to chase after him. She did have to go in to see the Kimono Girls, after all, and if Will wanted to talk to her, he would. He always did what he wanted to do. It was part of what she liked about him.

But still, sometimes she wished that he could just stay put and _listen_ instead of always running off.

* * *

**049. But Thou Must**

"It is time!" Zuki cried. "Time to awaken Lugia!" Her sisters murmured their agreement, and one of them passed Zuki an ancient wooden box. "Here," Zuki said, moving over to Lyra and opening the box. Inside was a silver bell marked with whirlpools, and Lyra reached forward, gently picking up the bell to examine it further. "That is the Tidal Bell," Zuki explained. "With that and the Silver Wing in your possession, you will be able to awaken the legendary Pokèmon Lugia!"

"I will?" Lyra asked, frowning a bit as Zuki nodded. "But -"

"Now, we must hurry. Please meet us at the Whirl Islands." Zuki's sisters had already moved off the stage, hurrying to make their own preparations, but Lyra's head was spinning.

"Wait, wait - hang on a second, please." Lyra held up one hand, and Zuki looked at her in surprise, raising her eyebrows. "Whoever said I wanted to go to the Whirl Islands?" she asked. "I mean, you never even asked me if I wanted to go."

"Asked you?" Zuki laughed, a tinkling little laugh that almost sounded patronizing. "My dear child, this has all been preordained. As I said, from the moment the Mystery Egg fell into Mr. Pokèmon's hands -"

"I know, I understood that," Lyra interrupted, though the thought still made her uncomfortable. To think that the entire start of her journey had been orchestrated from the get-go made her feel like a silly puppet on the end of some master's strings, dancing along to the whims of another. She didn't like the feeling. "But I still feel like you should ask me if I want to play a part in this. I don't like just being told what to do, and besides, it's proper manners to at least _ask_ someone before telling them to go off and resurrect some legendary sea monster."

Zuki gave Lyra a pitying look, setting one hand on either side of Lyra's face. "Ordinarily, you would be correct," she said softly. "But now we have no time for such formalities. You must do this, Lyra. It is your destiny."

Lyra looked down at the bell in her hands. "There could be worse destinies, I guess," she muttered. "But I still think it's rude of you to just tell me to go and do this without even asking me first."

"I know," Zuki said. "But you must. Now, come! Meet us at the Whirl Islands!" Spinning around, Zuki skipped off the stage to join her sisters, and Lyra tucked the bell into her bag, sighing.

"I have a feeling that if I wasn't a kid, they would not be telling me what to do right now," she told Pantalaimon, who nodded in agreement. "Oh well, I guess it's time to go hunt down the legendary sea monster . . ."

* * *

**050. The Guardian of the Sea**

The cavern was beautiful. Most of the Whirl Islands seemed to be just regular caves that were more wet, but the inner sanctum with the waterfall pouring down in the very back seemed to glow with a dim blue light, the large golden bells tied to the back pillars glinting with the reflection of the water off them.

"It is time," Zuki said, walking over to Lyra as Lyra entered. Pantalaimon jumped up onto Lyra's shoulders, watching curiously as Zuki held out her hands. "With the Tidal Bell that we have given you, we will perform the dance that we practiced for ages, and summon Lugia!"

"Really?" Lyra fumbled through her bag, pulling out the Tidal Bell and holding it out in the cavern light. "I don't see - whoa!" The bell flashed brilliantly, a clear sound ringing out from it and echoing around the cavern. Lyra slowly pulled her hands away, watching as a mysterious power held the bell aloft on its own, and Zuki took her position, closing her eyes.

"Now, sisters," she breathed. "It is time."

The Tidal Bell continued to chime, a delicate, almost sad melody that soon joined in harmony with the ringing of the golden bells in the cavern. Pantalaimon crouched low on Lyra's shoulders, and she could feel him trembling by her neck. Reaching up, Lyra put one hand on him, trying to calm him down; but the fact that there were shivers racing along her skin didn't lend much comfort to her Pokèmon, and she knew it. But as the melody reached a crescendo and the Kimono Girls finished their dancing, the entire cavern seemed to tremble, the temperature dropping a few noticeable degrees.

"It is time," Zuki repeated, her voice hushed and choked with awe. Lyra looked to her, and then turned her eyes back to the waterfall, her heart suddenly leaping to her throat. Whereas before the waterfall had been pure and deep blue, now there was a shape behind it - a _shadow_, to be specific, with glowing _eyes_.

A monstrous roar suddenly cut through the air, cutting off the melody in an abrupt stop. The Tidal Bell, no longer held aloft by its own magic, tumbled out of the air, and it was only thanks to Pantalaimon's quick reflexes that he managed to catch it in his mouth. Lyra was far too focused on the shape that was growing larger by the second, and then by the legendary sea creature that burst forth from the waterfall, showering them all in frigid water. With an earsplitting roar, Lugia reared its head and spread its wings (at least, Lyra supposed they were wings - they could have easily been passive paws), staring down at them. If Lyra had ever been afraid of Entei or Suicune, it was nothing compared to the utter awe and terror she felt staring up at Lugia - at the way her heart was paralyzed in her chest, her breath choked tight in her throat.

"We have done all we can do," Zuki said, but Lyra only barely heard her, as if Zuki was speaking from the other side of the waterfall. "Now it is up to you."

"Up to . . . What?" Lyra could not tear her eyes off Lugia - could not take her eyes off the majestic creature before her. It was enough effort just to talk, and on some deep level, she suspected that the only reason she could is because what Zuki had suggested was so ludicrous. "I don't . . . What?"

"You must face Lugia," Zuki said, speaking patiently, as if Lyra was a small child. "It is your destiny."

"You mean . . . _What_?" Finally Lyra managed to look at Zuki, her mouth as dry as a desert during a summer drought. "Did you . . . Did you not have a reason for summoning Lugia? A game plan? A _reason_?"

"Many have tried to summon Lugia in the past. We have all tried so hard . . . but never before has it come to the surface. It must have been waiting for _you_, Lyra." Zuki looked at Lyra earnestly, but Lyra could barely see her for the dizziness that suddenly swarmed her head. "It is up to you to decide what to do."

"So you . . . So you . . . You . . . You summoned a legendary sea creature, something that's probably powerful enough to destroy a good portion of the world . . . for kicks?" Lyra put one hand to her head, looking back at Lugia. She didn't know if she was imagining it or not, but the mythical Pokèmon almost looked impatient as it watched her, another low growl issuing from its throat. "And now you want _me_ to . . . to . . . what? Play with it? I don't . . . I don't even . . ."

"It is your destiny," Zuki repeated simply. Lyra laughed, and some small part of her mind noted that her voice sounded nearly hysterical.

"He's going to _eat_ me!" As if to punctuate her words, Lugia let out another low cry. "See?"

"You are the Chosen One. He would never _eat_ you." Zuki laughed, but Lyra did not feel comforted. Stepping back, Zuki spread one arm, indicated Lugia. "Please, Lyra. You must decide what to do."

Lyra did not like to think of herself as a coward, but she was trembling so violently that each word she spoke came out shaking like a guitar string that someone had strummed too fast. Each step she took toward Lugia was jerky and forced, and she wasn't sure if her vision was blurred because of sea spray that had gotten into her eyes or because of tears brought to the surface by her nerves. As she reached the water, Pantalaimon - trembling just as violently as she was - tried to struggle down into her bag, and Lyra mercifully recalled him. If she was going to die - and she was fairly certain she was, no matter what she had promised Ethan - she didn't want him to see it.

Lyra reached the water's edge, and took a couple steps in. Lugia let out another fierce cry, and Lyra recoiled, raising her arms to shield her face.

"U - Um . . . Lu - Lugia . . ." Lyra had no idea how good Lugia's hearing was, but it would have to be pretty sharp to pick up on her voice, she was sure. "I - I - I - I want-!" Lyra's words cut off in a scream as Lugia dove toward her sharply, his long neck extending so that his massive head was only a breath away from her body. Lugia stared at her, studying her for several long seconds, before he rose to his full height again and let out one final earsplitting cry. Rising to the top of the cavern, Lugia dove down into the water, creating another massive wave that crashed over Lyra and the Kimono Girls. Lyra had raised her arms in defense again, but she peeked through them to see that Lugia had completely disappeared. "Wh - Where . . . ?"

"There is a tunnel beneath the water here," Zuki said, walking forward to stare at the spot where Lugia had vanished. "It leads to the sea. Lugia has been awakened, so he will not return to eternal sleep, but . . . he has been freed." Zuki turned to Lyra, a smile on her face. "You freed him. You are amazing."

"I - I didn't do an - anything." Lyra took a deep breath, trying to restore her breathing, yet finding it difficult. Perhaps she was hyperventilating. "S - So, what no - now?"

"What now?" Zuki blinked, and Lyra nodded.

"Y - You free - freed him, s - so-"

"Lugia will protect the seas as the guardian," Zuki said, looking back to the water. "That is what will happen now."

"O - Oh." Lyra stared at the water as well, still trying to calm herself down, the effort now aided by the fact that she realized that all of that effort, all of that testing, all of that _terror_ was really for an end-result that would probably never even really be noticed. _At least, not unless the sea monster woke up on the wrong side of the bed and decides to rampage across Johto._

Really, it was all very anticlimactic.

* * *

**051. A Healthy Dose of Normal**

". . . and it was pretty much the most terrifying experience of my entire life."

Lyra dug her spoon deep into the tub of Neapolitan ice cream, scooping strawberry and chocolate onto her spoon before sticking it into her mouth. After dragging herself out of the Whirl Islands, Lyra had flown back to New Bark Town, and - after changing into dry clothes - went straight to Ethan's. Fortunately, he was still home, and at the moment they were sitting on his bed with the door closed, a tub of Neapolitan ice cream between them, the covers pulled up around their shoulders.

"I just can't believe it," Ethan said, shaking his head slowly. "I mean, _Lugia_? The guardian of the sea from legend? That's . . . That's . . ."

"Insane? Crazy? Yeah, tell me about it." Lyra shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the ice cream. "I mean, you probably think it sounds awesome because it's a legendary Pokèmon and all, but let me tell you - it's not. Lugia was _huge_, and I could have sworn it was going to eat me. None of my Pokèmon would have stood a chance against something like that, and the Kimono Girls just shoved me forward like I was supposed to know what to do." Lyra threw up her hands. "I just . . . I'm probably going to have _nightmares_ about this, Ethan! I'm just lucky that Lugia decided that he wasn't hungry or something." Lyra stabbed her spoon into the ice cream again, digging out another vicious scoop. "I mean, what did they expect me to do, catch it? You can't catch a Pokèmon like that, no matter what Eusine thinks by chasing Suicune."

"I'll agree with you there," Ethan said after swallowing another bite of chocolate and vanilla. "I've always wanted to see legendary Pokèmon, but I've never really thought about _catching_ them. I mean . . . they're legendary for a reason, aren't they?"

"Exactly," Lyra said. "And I had no clue what I was doing. They didn't _tell_ me what I was supposed to be doing. I just . . . Oh my god, Ethan, I was _not_ prepared and I _seriously_ thought I was going to _die_ . . ."

"Hey, but you didn't die, right?" Ethan reached over, pushing Lyra's shoulder gently and offering her a smile. "You're okay, and you're alive, and that's what matters. Well, that, and . . ."

"And what?" Lyra asked, raising an eyebrow. Ethan smiled a mischievous smile.

"Well, after you left earlier and I finished the chores my dad wanted me to complete, I decided to go a few rounds on Mario Kart, and . . . I unlocked Rainbow Road."

Lyra stared at Ethan for a few seconds, locking eyes with his, before she thrust her spoon deep enough into the ice cream tub to make it stay.

"Turn on your Wii," she said decisively, "and let's get started. I have a road made out of rainbow to beat you on, Ethan."

"You're on!" Ethan put his own spoon in the tub and bounded off the bed, moving over to his television and Wii to fire it up. "By the way, I totally call Yoshi."

"Nu-uh, no fair, Yoshi's mine and you know it!"

"In your dreams, Lyra! It's my Wii!"

"And I'm the one that just had the near-death experience!"

"Doesn't matter. Real life doesn't matter in Mario Kart."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"Well, we'll see about that, Ethan Soulbitz! I'm going to take Yoshi and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"You bet we will, Miss Lyra Hart, 'cause Yoshi's mine and I'm not giving in!"

It was stupid banter that would only lead to _more_ stupid arguing once they actually started racing, but as Ethan handed her the Wii remote and the familiar Mario Kart music started playing, Lyra couldn't help but smile.

She was definitely right to go to Ethan. Ice cream, stupid arguing, mindless video games . . . it was all normal. So perfectly normal, and she felt better already.

* * *

**052. Strange Portmanteau**

It took a few days, but once Lyra had her confidence back, she set off for the Pokèmon League. According to her Pokègear map, to get there she had to surf east from New Bark Town, and then go through the Tohjo Falls. It was the name of the falls that gave her pause more than anything else, which caused her to stop far more than being told she'd taken her first step into Kanto did.

"Tohjo . . . I just don't get it, Pan," she said, looking down at her Furret. "Where does the 'h' come from? There's no 'h' on the end of Kanto and there's not one at the beginning of 'Johto.' If anything, shouldn't it be the 'Tojoh' falls, with the 'h' on the end?" Pantalaimon gave her a look that suggested he didn't think it was very important, and Lyra sighed, clipping her Pokègear back onto her bag. "I know, I know. We have more important things to concern ourselves with, but even so, it just bugs me a little, that's all."

Pantalaimon made a sound of nonchalant sympathy before bounding along ahead of her, into the cave.

* * *

**053. I Love It When He Ignores Me**

"You're really strong," Ace Trainer Jamie said, recalling her fainted Rapidash. Lyra smiled a bit as she recalled Hydra, but the smile faded when the other girl continued. "But still, you're not as powerful as that red-haired trainer . . ."

"Red-haired trainer?" Lyra asked, tilting her head. Jamie nodded, a dreamy smile overtaking her features.

"Yes. He had red hair and gray eyes, and he seemed so _cold_ and mysterious. I tried to talk to him more, to start a conversation with him, but he just ignored me and moved on." A faint blush seemed to tickle the girl's cheeks. "He was so _cool_! I just wish I'd been able to get his number, but he was too mysteriously cool to give it out."

"I don't even think Will owns a Pokègear, much less has a number for it," Lyra muttered, but she had to admit that she was curious now, too. _Did_ he have a Pokègear? And if so, why didn't she have his number? Well, one thing was for certain; if Will _did_ have a Pokègear and if he _did_ have a number, _she_ would have his number before any random Ace Trainer girl.

Jamie seemed to feel differently. "You know him personally?" she said, and when Lyra nodded, her eyes flashed. "That makes us rivals!" she declared, pointing one finger dramatically in Lyra's direction. "Rivals for love! Give me your number! I want to be able to check up on the progress of your failure with Will and be able to battle you whenever I want!"

"Wh - What?" Lyra felt her cheeks heat up, and she glared at the girl. "First off, why are you assuming I'm in love with Will? I never said I was! And secondly, even _if_ I was, I'm already rivals with Will, so I know him more than you ever could, anyway!"

"That's not true!" the other girl shot back. "Will and I will have plenty of time to get to know each other! We'll get to know each other and we'll love each other and when we get married, _you_ won't be invited to the wedding!"

"We'll see about that! If Will married _anyone_ it would be - it would be definitely not _you_!" Her face now rivaling her shirt in color, Lyra stomped past Jamie, and headed to the guard building that would lead her to Victory Road. The other girl was crazy, Lyra knew - absolutely crazy. After all, what could possibly make her think she had a chance with Will, with the way he was ignoring her? She didn't know a thing about him.

But more than that, what made her think that _Lyra_ was after his affections? Lyra just wanted to be friends with him - that was it. There was nothing more there, and Lyra didn't feel the need to stick around and listen to any more of the Jamie's crazy-talk.

* * *

**054. Not So Typical**

It was typical, Lyra figured, for Will to challenge her just as she was leaving Victory Road - just as she was mere steps away from healing and resting her Pokèmon. But even so, she figured that it was also typical for her to win, for Sam to still be standing while Will's Golbat was fainted on the cavern floor.

What _wasn't_ typical was the way Will walked over to his Golbat, kneeling down beside it, putting one hand on its wing.

"I just don't get it," he said quietly, and if it wasn't for their close proximity, Lyra might have missed what he was saying. "My Pokèmon . . . My Pokèmon are undoubtedly the strongest. They get stronger every time we train. They're strong, and I try, so why? Why do I lose? Maybe what the Dragon Tamer said was right after all . . ."

"Will . . ." Sam stayed close to Lyra as she walked over, kneeling down beside the Golbat as well. The Golbat looked up at Lyra with mistrust in its eyes, but Lyra ignored the look, instead pulling a Hyper Potion out of her bag. "Here," she said quietly, holding it out to Will. "Heal your Golbat. We can take your other Pokèmon to the Center at Indigo Plateau."

Lyra half-expected Will to knock the Hyper Potion from her hands, and was therefore a bit surprised when he actually took it, spraying the medicine on his Golbat's wounds. Even the Golbat looked mildly surprised, Lyra noted, though it didn't flinch away from Will's touch or anything of the sort.

"Will," Lyra began again, and he grunted to show that he was listening, "I don't think what Lance said was true. It's like I told you back in Goldenrod, you do care for your Pokèmon. You're strict, but being strict isn't the same thing as being cruel or neglectful."

"No," Will said after a moment, dropping the empty medicine bottle onto the ground, "but those two things can go hand-in-hand. To expect too much . . . to _want_ too much out of someone else . . . I can't do to them what he did to me."

"What who did to you?" Lyra asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Lance?"

Will shook his head, not looking at her as he recalled his Golbat. "No. My father."

The admission took Lyra by surprise, and her eyes widened as she stood up alongside Will. She'd never, ever heard him mention anything about his family or where he came from before. She assumed that he knew that she came from New Bark Town, because he'd been there when she'd left on her journey, and it wasn't as if she tried to hide where she came from. But Lyra knew next to nothing about him, and to hear even the tiniest tidbit . . . it floored her.

"Your father . . . he was cruel?" she asked quietly. Will didn't answer, and instead just looked at her, his gaze serious and long before he spoke again.

"I'm going to continue to train," he said. "I'm going to continue to train, both myself and my Pokèmon. I think . . . I think I see what I need now - what you have, and what I lack."

"What's that?" Lyra asked, folding her arms across her stomach. She felt suddenly uncomfortable, and she didn't know why - like something was really, truly changing, for once and for all. Something like a half-smirk, half-frown tilted Will's lips, and he turned away.

"You already know the answer to that. Don't ask stupid questions."

"But I don't," Lyra insisted, and she took a step closer to him as he began to back away, to head deeper into Victory Road. "Will, wait. Don't you want to heal your Pokèmon?"

"I will, but I can't go on with you. Indigo Plateau . . . that's _your_ destination, isn't it? So go. Go and take on the Elite Four."

"That was the plan," Lyra said, "but Will -"

"Don't lose," Will interrupted her. He hadn't looked back, but he had stopped, and as soon as he said the words he took off, rounding a corner and heading back into the darkness of Victory Road again. Lyra stared after him, feeling uneasy and worried and strangely _warm_ all at once. Because, just like in Ecruteak City, Will didn't want her to lose. He expected her to win. And somehow, despite her worry for whatever existential crisis he was currently having, the fact that _he_ had faith in her and wanted her to win filled her chest with the strangest, loveliest floaty feeling.

* * *

**055. Legendary**

"So . . . Lugia was finally raised . . . If only I'd been there to see it." Morty took a sip of the tea that Zuki had offered him, and Zuki nodded sagely, her expression serene.

"It was magnificent. We were certainly right to choose that child. She performed marvelously."

"_I_ could have been there to see it," Eusine muttered. Like Morty, he'd been invited in by the Kimono Girls to be told of Lugia's resurrection, but unlike Morty, he was sulking even as he drank his quickly cooling tea. Morty sighed. "That is, if _someone_ had allowed me to continue tailing Lyra."

"You were the one that lost her," Morty said, looking over at Eusine with a flat expression. "Don't blame that on me. Besides, it wasn't as if raising Lugia was a field trip. You didn't need to be there."

"Neither did you."

"I wasn't."

"But you _wanted_ to be."

"That's not the same thing."

"It's close enough."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it isn't, and we aren't having this argument now. It's disrespectful." Morty sat his teacup down and then bowed to Zuki, standing up. "You have my sincerest apologies, Zuki. I'll remove Eusine from your presence."

"You have nothing to worry about, Mortimer," Zuki said, rising with him. Eusine smirked a little at the use of Morty's full name, but Morty ignored him. "Please, come back any time - both of you, feel free to come visit my sisters and myself."

"I will," Morty said, and then reached out to grab Eusine's arm. "Come on, Eusine."

Eusine delivered a sweeping bow to Zuki before following Morty out of the Dance Studio, and once they were back out in the cool night air, he allowed a few chuckles to be heard, throwing a look over in Morty's direction. "Well, _Mortimer_," he teased. "Where to now?"

"_I'm_ going to the Bell Tower. I want to investigate some things there," Morty said, reaching over to punch Eusine in the arm. "Also, shut up. You know damn well I hate to be called that. It makes me sound like an old man."

"You let Zuki call you that."

"Yes, because I'm going to disrespect a Kimono Girl by telling her that she can't call me by my full name." Morty rolled his eyes. Eusine shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"You're always so sarcastic, Morty. You'll never be in Ho-Oh's good graces with _that_ attitude."

"Unlike how Suicune will absolutely love you for stalking underage girls, right?"

"Precisely." Morty rolled his eyes again, but he couldn't help but smile a bit at Eusine's retort. "But I am telling you right now, Morty," Eusine continued seriously, "that if I miss Suicune the way we both missed Lugia because of your _morals_ when it comes to tailing Lyra, I will never forgive you."

"It's not as if I can really stop you, Eusine."

"True. And I've already received word that apparently Lyra is going to be taking on the Pokèmon League. Provided she wins, she'll probably be headed to Kanto, so I'll just head her off." Morty sighed even as Eusine grinned broadly. "It's the perfect plan, provided Suicune doesn't approach her before then."

"Well, good luck, Eusine." Morty reached out, clapping Eusine on the shoulder as he headed into the aged building to get to the Bell Tower's garden. "Here's hoping you don't get arrested."

"And also here's hoping," Eusine said, reaching out to put one arm on Morty's shoulder in turn, "that we both get to see the legendary Pokèmon we're after next time."


	6. Set Six

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Six**

**

* * *

**

**056. First Up: Will (No, Not That One - The Other One. The **_**Annoying**_** One)**

Initially, Lyra was nervous when she walked toward the door leading into the room that housed the first member of the Elite Four. She knew absolutely nothing about them, after all, save for what the guard in front of the door said before he passed. Something about the way he _grinned_ when he said that they were incredibly tough and that she couldn't exit once she entered set her on edge, and though Dean walked with cool confidence beside her, Lyra still couldn't help but feel as if each and every one of her nerves had been jolted by an extremely rude Thundershock.

But when she entered the first room and found herself faced with strange, three-dimensional floating _blocks_ that seemed to be made out of nothing but light and a strangely costumed man staring at her, she felt most of her nerves melt away into pure bemusement.

"Welcome to the Elite Four!" the man called out as he approached, his voice somewhat high-pitched and sounding as if it was holding back perpetual laughter. "I am Will! I -"

"Will?" Lyra repeated before she could help herself. The image of a boy with red hair and fierce gray eyes flashed before her mind's eye, and the man before her nodded.

"Yes! I have trained all around the world, making my psychic Pokèmon powerful. And at last, I have been accepted into the Pokèmon League! I can only keep getting better! Losing is not an option! And here and now, we shall battle to determine which of us will go on, which of us will see this to the end! There will be many twists and turns, but ultimately, I am confident that my psychic Pokèmon will prevail! I -" Will stopped his long speech suddenly, finally noticing Dean, who yawned loudly by Lyra's feet. "Is that an Umbreon?"

"Yep," Lyra affirmed, nodding once. "Dean, you're up." Dean pounced forward, his teeth suddenly barred, a ferocious glint in his eyes. Will hastened to regain his composure, fixing his mask.

"No matter! This does not matter! For in the end, Lyra, I shall be the one who wins! We psychics never give up! Until our power reaches zero, our opportunities are limitless! We psychics -"

"Talk a _lot_," Lyra interrupted, folding her arms. "Can we please just start the battle already?" She knew she was being rude, and she could tell that Will was offended (and could only wonder at what that would mean for her upcoming match), but his high-pitched voice was beginning to grate on her nerves. As he sent out his Xatu, causing Dean to lick his fangs, Lyra knew one thing for certain:

They may have been name-twins, but this annoying member of the Elite Four had _nothing_ on her rival.

* * *

**057. Ask-a-Koga**

There was a chance, of course, that Will (of the Elite Four) being weird was just an exception rather than the rule. The Elite Four was comprised of expert trainers, after all; surely they couldn't _all_ be bizarre. Surely they had to be normal on _some_ level, right?

When Lyra entered the next room to find the next member of the Elite Four hanging upside down from the ceiling, she found that she was proven wrong.

"Um, hi?" Lyra called, and though he smirked, he offered her no response. "My name is Lyra. I'm here -"

"I know why you're here," he called down, folding his arms across his chest. Lyra raised one eyebrow, yet then nodded.

"Uh . . . Okay, good." After a few more moments of silence with no change, she asked, "So . . . Why are you on the ceiling?"

"I am a ninja," he replied. Lyra nodded slowly.

"Okay . . . But how -"

"I am a ninja."

"Right, but -"

"I," he interrupted, speaking each syllable slowly and distinctly, as if she hadn't heard him the first time, "am a _nin-ja_."

"I _know_ you're a ninja!" Lyra retorted, throwing her hands up. "But what I don't get is how you're going to battle me if you're just hanging up -"

"A trainer doesn't have to be at ground-level in order to carry out a battle. In fact, a true ninja works from the shadows, using abilities to confound their opponents before said opponents have a chance to react."

Lyra nearly jumped a foot in the air, spinning around to find that Koga had somehow moved from the ceiling to behind her without her ever noticing the difference. Her heart thundering against her chest, Lyra looked up at the ceiling, found that he was indeed gone, and then looked back to see that he'd moved again.

"How do you move so fast?" Lyra demanded. "Where did you go?"

"I'm a ninja," Koga replied, his voice coming from everywhere at once. "And now it is time for us to battle. Prepare yourself!"

"How do I - whoa!" A Pokèball was thrown from seemingly nowhere, landing in the center of the floor and revealing an Ariados. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm a ninja," Koga answered, and Lyra sighed, gesturing for Byrnison to barrel out in front of her, taking the Ariados head-on.

"I should have known better than to ask . . ."

* * *

**058. Bruno: A Man of Few Words (But Plenty of Wangst)**

First there was Will, who was over-dressed.

Then there was Koga, who had acceptable clothes - or at least, Lyra thought he did. She barely saw him, so she couldn't really say.

And then there was Bruno who . . . wore nothing but cut-off pants.

Lyra was reminded forcibly of Chuck, who dressed in a similar style as he sat underneath a pounding waterfall. Still, if there was one thing she could say about Bruno, it was that he at least had the abs to back it up. If it weren't for the Murkrow's feet around his eyes and the tangled, ratty, long blue hair he had, he might have actually been somewhat attractive - he might have been impressive.

As it stood, he was . . . not. At first Lyra had thought that his trick of kicking the Pokèballs was somewhat cool (he said that he refused to use his hands, though he refused to say why, only that there was a very _important_, very _serious_ reason behind his refusal), but it grew old after the first couple of times, especially with the way he put way more force into kicking them than necessary (one almost hit her in the face). And at the end of the battle, when she expected him to say something at least somewhat cool, the most he did was sit down and hang his head, looking away from her.

"Having lost, I have no right to say anything," he said. "Go on to your next opponent."

"Okay," Lyra said, glancing down at Sam with a confused expression. "But, Bruno -"

"No," he interrupted, refusing to meet her gaze. "I have no right. What I have done . . . I have failed beyond all imaginings. I will never be forgiven."

"Never be forgiven?" Lyra raised an eyebrow, exchanging another look with Sam. "Um, you _do_ know that you just lost a Pokèmon battle, right? It's going to be okay. You don't need to -"

"I have no right to have this conversation with you!" Bruno interrupted, and Lyra jumped a little at the sudden volume of his voice. "My past . . . You could never understand my past! The mistakes I have committed . . . Go! Go, Lyra! Onto your next challenge! Leave me in my shame!"

". . . Okay, then. Bye, I . . . guess . . ." Lyra stepped around Bruno, and though she glanced back at him, he studiously avoided her gaze. She almost felt bad for leaving him alone to brood in the middle of the floor, but in the end, it really wasn't worth it. Whatever Bruno was angsting about, he'd surely get over it eventually, and if not . . . well, it clearly was not her problem.

* * *

**059. Karen the Shameless Hussy and Her Bloody Awful Houndoom Lilith**

The fourth room was . . . dark. There was no other way to describe it. Cloaked in purples and blacks, it gave off an eerie atmosphere that made Sam shiver until Lyra recalled him, calling out Byrnison instead. But as dark as the room was, it was a stark contrast to the coy voice coming from the center, and as Lyra neared, she saw a young woman with silvery hair talking on a Pokègear cell phone, giggling fiendishly all the while.

". . . positively adorable when you're flustered. To think, you don't even have _reason_ to be flustered yet, _Mortimer_." The woman didn't even seem to notice Lyra, and instead merely smirked, twirling one lock of silvery-blue hair around her finger. "Just wait until I get a hold of you. I'll show you a time you'll _never_ forget." Another dark giggle followed her words, and it stopped Lyra from interrupting based on the sheer implication behind the laugh alone. The laughter subsided briefly, but the smirk remained, and after a moment she asked, "Oh? Is that little Eugene I hear in the background?"

_Eugene? Mortimer?_ Lyra looked over at Byrnison, who looked just as confused as Lyra felt. _Does she mean Eusine and Morty?_ Granted, Lyra knew that the chances of that probably weren't that good, but all the same . . .

"Oh, yes, yes, I meant _Eusine_, of course," the woman said, rolling her eyes as if she found the subject to be of very little importance. Lyra's eyes widened, even as she reasoned with herself that there tons of people in the world, including other people named "Eusine" as well. "Well, just - oh, Eusine, what a surprise." The woman clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Yes, yes, I'm fully aware of what you think of me. But let me clue you in on a little something: what I do to Mortimer in our private time is _none_ of your business. Is that clear enough for you, or do I need to spell it out in simpler terms?" Apparently whatever the woman said did not mesh well with Eusine (and Lyra couldn't say she blamed him, because the words "do _to_" didn't exactly inspire comfort), because the woman held the phone away from her ear briefly. Lyra couldn't make out the words, but she could certainly hear the angry tone. When Karen put the phone back to her ear, her tone was as mocking as ever. "Of course I meant do _with_, Eusine, please don't get your Suicune pajamas in a bunch." If Lyra had any doubt about who Karen was speaking to before that moment, the mention of Suicune squashed it, and she sighed. _He just follows me everywhere, doesn't he? Even if this isn't really following me, but even so . . ._

Finally, the woman's eyes flickered to Lyra, and Lyra felt something cold shoot through her at the gaze, despite the fact that the amusement still hadn't left the woman's face. "As much as I would love to continue this conversation, it appears as if I have a challenger, so I really must be going. Tell Mortimer I send hugs and kisses, and I will see him later. Goodbye." The woman snapped the phone shut without giving Eusine a chance to reply, and turned her attention fully to Lyra.

"Do you have a name, little girl?"

"I'm Lyra," Lyra replied, bristling at being addressed as a "little girl." The woman merely chuckled.

"Lyra? How amusing. I am Karen of the Elite Four, a master of dark-types. I simply adore their dark power and the aura of mystery . . . but I believe in showing rather than telling. Words are for the weak and the young."

"Tell that to the guy in the first room," Lyra muttered, and Karen laughed.

"Oh, yes. Dearest William does have a rather hard time shutting his mouth. Fortunately, my Pokèmon often do it for him." Karen pulled a Pokèball off her waist, spinning before throwing it out in a powerful swing. "Lilith! Let's begin!"

None of the other members of the Elite Four had nicknamed their Pokèmon, so it was surprising to hear that Karen had - and doubly surprising to see that it was a _Houndoom_, of all creatures. The Houndoom looked just as arrogant as Karen herself, its hackles rising over its fangs in an unmistakable canine smirk. Karen's smirk mirrored it, and she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Don't get used to the sentimentalities, little girl. Lilith is the only one of my Pokèmon with a proper name - and she's also the only one I'll need to utterly destroy you. Try to fight; you won't get far."

"I'll do more than try," Lyra retorted, reaching out an arm to hold Byrnison back. As strong as he was, she only one had Pokèmon that would be able to combat a Houndoom's fire. "Go, Hydra!"

. . . But Hydra couldn't. Hydra's Surf was strong, but Lilith's Dark Pulse was stronger, and Hydra was felled after two hits. Byrnison lumbered out next, but was quickly mown down. Scoresby went down after a single Flamethrower, and Lilith seemed to take particular delight in trying to tear Dean's throat out while Sam - who's psychic attacks would be utterly useless - struggled to illegally enter the fight, restrained only by Lyra's arms. Finally, it was down to Pantalaimon, who faced Lilith bravely despite the leer in the Houndoom's eyes. Karen smirked, her arms crossed confidently across her chest.

"Down to a little Furret, hm? Wonderfully amusing. Well, let's continue then, shall we? Lilith, Dark Pulse!"

Lyra shut her eyes tight against the oncoming dark wave, and shouted the only thing that had even the slightest hope of getting them through it:

"Pan, use Return!"

* * *

**060. Lord Lance, the Dragon Champion**

It took a good chunk of Lyra's items to heal her Pokèmon back to their proper health, but as she entered the regal room with the golden Dratini statues, she knew it was worth it. Lyra had wondered about who the Pokèmon Champion was - had heard about how Red had abandoned his post without so much as a reason why, passing the baton to someone else - but had never guessed that it could be _him_ - that it could be _Lance_. And as he grinned a tight grin at her as she approached, the expression just as fierce as it was at the Lake of Rage, Lyra felt a ripple of true fear run through her - not just nerves, but _fear_.

She had seen his Dragonite take on Team Rocket's Pokèmon. More than that, she had seen his Dragonite take on a _person_. Lance's smile and eyes were burning with a ferocity that extended beyond Pokèmon battling, and as she walked up with Pantalaimon at her side, she wasn't so sure she was ready to face it.

"I knew you would make it here, Lyra," he said, and Lyra swallowed, nodding once. "With your skills, I was sure of it. And now, as the standing Pokèmon League Champion, I will put those skills to the test!"

"R - Right," Lyra managed, taking a few steps back. Pantalaimon twisted around to look at her, his eyes wide. "You're up first, Pan," she said, crossing her fingers at her sides. "Don't worry, I'll call you back if I don't think you're ready to deal with -"

"Go, Gyarados!"

"- oh." Lyra looked up at the towering blue sea serpent, and Pantalaimon did the same, his striped tail swishing back and forth in anticipation. "Well, in that case . . . Pantalaimon, Thunder!" Pantalaimon clapped his paws together before smacking them down onto the ground, his fur bristling with static electricity before a bolt of pure lightning struck the sea serpent where it stood. Far from being felled, however, the Gyarados seemed to shake the shock off, and - upon Lance's command that it use Waterfall - charged at Pantalaimon like a hurtling train made of pulsing water and pure muscle. Pantalaimon was thrown bodily across the room, crying out as he thudded across the floor, but able to stand afterward, looking a little dazed.

Lyra glanced back at Lance to see that his expression was just as wild and fierce as before. For all of his talk of loving and caring for Pokèmon, of treating them gently and with kindness and respect, he loved this. He thrived on it. The thrill of the battle, of commanding his Pokèmon . . . he enjoyed it in ways that Lyra didn't - that Lyra couldn't even imagine enjoying it.

Lyra crossed her arms across her chest, running her hands along the goosebumps that raised on her arms.

Lance could call Will - _her_ Will, of course, not the freak in the first room - cruel all he wanted, but he was only denying his own raw craving for the heat of battle - not when it showed in each and every one of his Pokèmon.

The Gyarados was stubborn, but another Thunder from Pantalaimon managed to faint it. Likewise, Lance's Charizard fought hard, but Byrnison's Rollout won out in the end (despite how Byrnison suffered rough injuries before finally taking the fire-breathing dragon down). Lance's Aerodactyl, on the other hand, was a demon on par with Karen's Houndoom; Hydra managed to get its health down halfway before Lyra recalled him, refusing to risk another Thunder Fang, and sent Scoresby out to stall for time while she healed Hydra's injuries (she felt bad, but there was little else she could do; desperate times called for desperate measures, and Skarmory's agility allowed him to dodge most of the Aerodactyl's attacks, the two fighting viciously against each other in the air). Once he was thrown back into the fight, Hydra managed to take the Aerodactyl down, but not before it landed one more vicious Thunder Fang around Hydra's mid-section.

As horrendous as the Aerodactyl was, however, the three Dragonite were worse. Sam took on the first two on his own, using Psybeam constantly, refusing to stay in one place for very long. By the time the third Dragonite rolled around, however, Sam was exhausted, and a single well-placed Outrage knocked Sam into a Dratini statue so hard the gold actually cracked, a splinter appearing through the gold plating before Sam fell limply to the ground.

"Sam!" Lyra cried, abandoning all thought as she ran over to her Espeon. As if she'd called his name instead, Dean charged forth from his Pokèball, rushing the Dragonite with fangs barred and bloodlust in his eyes. Lyra turned just in time to see Dean leap at the Dragonite, yet then disappear from view as soon as the Dragonite took a swing with its massive paw. The Faint Attack did hardly any damage; the Dragonite barely flinched before it retaliated with Outrage, and Dean slammed into the floor at the Dragonite's feet, his yellow rings dimming due to his injuries.

"Dean, no!" Lyra pulled out Dean's Pokèball, hastily trying to recall him before any more damage could be done. "I never sent you out - don't do things like that! Return!"

Dean ignored her command, much like he always did, and instead stumbled his way back onto his paws, shaking his head roughly. But instead of continuing the fight, he ran back to her, crouching down beside Sam, nudging the Espeon with his paws. Sam looked back weakly, and though she wanted to recall both of them - though she _knew_ she should recall both of them - Lyra left them, just for the moment. Better to let them comfort each other than to let them suffer in their Pokèballs apart.

Besides, she still needed to deal with the Dragonite.

"I never thought this would happen," Lance said, and he sounded for all the world like he was watching an interesting movie, or reading a particularly fascinating book. "I fight until the end and never give up - I suppose you're the same, Lyra?"

"You can see that I am, Lance!" Lyra shot back, her voice a bit high-pitched due to hysteria. But what could she do? Hydra, Sam, Dean, Byrnison, and Scoresby were in no condition to fight. That only left Pantalaimon, who was still tired from his earlier battle against the Gyarados, and had no possible type advantage against the Dragonite - the Dragonite, who was staring at her like she was lunch. Lyra was fairly certain this was the same Dragonite from the Team Rocket hideout in Mahogany - the same one who had ruthlessly attacked the Team Rocket grunt as per Lance's instruction. Lyra didn't think Lance would order it to attack her, but part of her couldn't help but wonder if the Dragonite wanted the order - if it _craved_ the chance to bypass the Pokèmon and go straight for another human. The thought made shivers of revulsion shake through her, and she tried to banish it as quickly as she'd thought it.

"Fair enough," Lance replied. "If that's the case, send out another Pokèmon. If you aren't going to surrender, then . . ."

". . . Pan," Lyra said in a quiet, final tone. Pantalaimon scampered forward, pausing by her side to look up at her. Lyra looked down, meeting his eyes, hating the look that she saw there in the same way that she loved it. Pantalaimon was looking at her in an unquestioning, unfaltering way. Whatever she ordered him to do, he would do it. He would face the Dragonite for her. He would fight for her. If she commanded him to, he would _die_ for her. Lyra had known that Pokèmon battles were serious before that moment - had treated and cared for every one of her Pokèmon's injuries, had rushed them to Pokèmon Centers and worried herself sick until they were returned to her, nice and healthy - but until that split second, it had never truly hit her what it meant. It never truly hit her how much power she had over these creatures - how much she truly asked of them. Lyra supposed Lance knew - supposed that was what made that fierce joy light up his eyes, supposed it was the power behind his smirk. But while it made him feel strong, it made Lyra feel sick - feel sick and scared and _loved_.

"Lyra?" Lance asked, and Lyra glared at him, holding up one finger to silence him.

"Just a moment."

Lyra knelt down and opened her arms, and - just as she knew he would - Pantalaimon bounded forward, into them. Lyra wrapped her arms tight around his warm, furry body, holding him close, burying her face in the top of his head to kiss it. Even when her eyes were closed, she could still see that look he'd given her. That look of complete and utter adoration and loyalty. He loved her. Pantalaimon loved her, and he fought for her, and he would _die for her_, and the thought of that happening - the thought of him dying because of a careless order on her part, because of some stupid dream of glory or of winning some stupid League championship . . . it made her sick. It truly, honestly made her shake.

And it wasn't just Pantalaimon. It was all of her Pokèmon. Sam had taken down two Dragonite and was now seriously injured because of his fight with a third. Dean, out of love for Sam and out of his own pride for both himself and (well, sort of) his trainer had risked his own life trying to take down that very same Dragonite. Scoresby had fought his hardest against the Aerodactyl, the fight only ending when he slammed into one of the swinging pendulums in the walls. Byrnison, dear Byrnison, had taken down the Charizard but was unable to stand against the second Dragonite. But still, he had fought. He had fought his hardest, for her. He had followed her every order, he pushed himself until the last. He fought until he was too worn out to fight anymore and she had finally recalled him.

What kind of trainer _was_ she?

"Lyra," Lance called again, this time sounding almost impatient. "Are you all right? If you want, we can call the match off -"

"I said to give me a moment and I meant it," Lyra tried to snap. The effect was ruined by the way her voice was trembling along with her body. She'd always been so sure of herself - so sure - but now . . . now she wasn't so sure. She would be by the end of the battle - she knew that - but right then, at that very moment . . . It would be the defining moment. It was time to prove what kind of trainer she was - to find out for herself. It was not about winning or losing anymore; it was about her Pokèmon, and about her, and about whether they really worked as a team or whether she didn't deserve them at all.

"Pan," she whispered, pulling him away from her, but only just; he met her eyes again, his ears perked up, watching and listening intently. Drinking in her every word. Ready to follow it to the last. Lyra felt like she was going to cry. "Do your best," she continued, stroking one hand from the top of Pantalaimon's head and down his back. "Do your best, but do _not_ push yourself too far. If I . . . If I don't realize what's going on soon enough, and you need to withdraw, do so. Do _not_ risk your life, Pantalaimon. This battle isn't worth that." Lyra looked to Lance, glaring fiercely at him. "It's _not_."

"Then forfeit," Lance said, and Lyra shook her head, standing up.

"No," she retorted. "We won't. Not yet." Looking down at Pantalaimon again, she saw him nod once before he bounded forward, looking up at the Dragonite defiantly.

"Dragonite," Lance ordered, "use Outrage." Once again, the Dragonite's eyes seemed to gleam with its power, and it swung one of its massive paws down. Pantalaimon bounded out of the way, his claws scraping audibly against the polished floor as he attempted to evade the attack. The force of Pantalaimon's look still burned audibly into her mind, Lyra took a deep breath and shouted the only command that made any sense anymore.

"Pantalaimon, use Return!"

Just as he had against Karen's Houndoom, Pantalaimon charged straight at the Dragonite, pushing himself off the floor and scrambling to get at the Dragonite's throat. Return wasn't any specific attack, after all; it was merely a wild attack, a fierce attack, an attack of pure emotion spurred out of loyalty and love. The Dragonite barely knew how to react, stumbling backward to try and get away from the Furret, but Pantalaimon hooked his claws into the Dragonite's soft belly flesh, scampering up the Dragonite like he was nothing more than a great orange tree, and then - hissing and spitting - launched himself at the Dragonite's face and throat.

Lance ran out of the way as the Dragonite - bellowing in pain, surprise, and anger - stumbled backward, flailing at both Pantalaimon and an attempt to keep its balance. Pantalaimon bit down hard on the Dragonite's throat, refusing to let go even as the Dragonite swung its head - or even as the Dragonite fell backwards, crashing hard onto the floor and half-slumped against the wall.

"That's enough!" Lance called out suddenly, despite the fact that his Dragonite was still conscious - could still stand up, maybe, if Pantalaimon would get off. "Call off your Pokèmon. The match is over. I . . . concede defeat."

". . . You do?" It wasn't a move that Lyra would have expected - not from Lance, the man who claimed that he never gave up. But he nodded, and Pantalaimon - paying just as much attention to the two trainers as he was to the Dragonite pinned under the force of his desperate attack - pounced off the Dragonite, scampering back over to Lyra, pride glowing in his eyes. Lyra recalled Sam and Dean into their Pokèballs before gladly accepting Pantalaimon up into her arms, holding him close, unable to resist the smile that was beginning to split her cheeks. Truly, she felt tired - beyond exhausted due to the myriad of emotions she'd faced in just that battle alone - but more than anything, she just felt _thrilled_. They'd won. They'd really, _truly_ won, and all of her Pokèmon were alive and they would be well once she healed them. But as a thought occurred to her, she looked down at Pantalaimon, her smile turning a bit sheepish.

"You know, if you think about it, you really only used one attack against that Dragonite," she said. "For all my theatrics, you didn't face that hard of a time, did you?" Pantalaimon shook his head, his expression a bit exasperated, and Lyra laughed a little, the sound just as sheepish as her grin. "Well, if anything, I guess it made the entire ordeal even more exciting than it already was . . ."

* * *

_**References and things borrowed (but nothing blue):**_

1.) In my head, Will of the Elite Four sounds like LittleKuriboh's rendition of Arkana from _Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series_, especially with how verbose he is in-game.

2.) "I'm a ninja" is taken quite blatantly from the Ask-A-Ninja, as that is often his response to anything.

3.) My rendition of Bruno was based off Regal Bryant from _Tales of Symphonia _since they look eerily similar.

4.) Karen being a shameless hussy isn't really based off anything, but I imagine that she would always be all-over Morty, and BFF Eusine would not be pleased. However, her Houndoom is named Lilith after a demon from the TV show _Supernatural _– a demon who commands legions of hellhounds (and, in particular, sends them after Dean).

5.) "Lord Lance" is a reference to "Lord Asriel" from His Dark Materials, because both characters have a sort of holier-than-thou feel to them. Beyond that there's nothing in common, but something tells me Lance wouldn't object to the title of "Lord" if it was bestowed upon him. And no, it's not that I hate Lance – it's just that I view him as rather arrogant and I think the power went to his head, and besides, he's not really the greatest person – he _did _have his _Dragonite _attack a _person _back in Mahogany Town, after all. Lance really isn't one to talk smack about people fighting dirty, now is he?

Please review!


	7. Set Seven

**Authors' Note: **Dean has a rather dirty mouth, so there is an increase in profanity in drabble 064, just as a warning.

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Seven**

**

* * *

**

**061. Owner**

The Safari Zone was - in Ethan's humble opinion - the most awesome place in all of Johto.

He'd met Baoba by accident when on his way to Olivine City, and on a whim, he'd agreed to exchange numbers with the enthusiastic older man. Now he was glad he did; upon receiving the call that the Safari Zone was open for business, Ethan had gone straight there, and was amazed at the sheer number of Pokèmon that he could catch. They were _everywhere_, and although Ethan knew that there were other things that he _should_ be doing, it was so easy to lose track of time in the Safari Zone, and far too much fun tackling the tests that Baoba set before him.

"Baoba!" he called, running out of the Safari Zone with a Safari Ball clutched tightly in his hand. Mari bounced along behind him, squeaking out a greeting to the old man in time with her trainer. "I did it! I caught your Sandshrew!"

"Really? That's great news, Ethan!" Baoba beamed, reaching out to take the Safari Ball from Ethan and pressing the small button on the center of the sphere. A Sandshrew materialized out of the red light, just as Ethan promised that it would, and if possible, Baoba's grin grew even wider. "You pass! Congratulations, Ethan! You are now the owner of the Safari Zone!"

"Yes! I - Wait, what?" Ethan stopped mid-cheer, his eyes widening and his jaw going slack. "Baoba, what do you mean by that?"

"Sit down, my boy, sit down." Dutifully, Ethan took a seat across the table from Baoba, who surveyed him like a man looking at his favorite grandson. "Ethan, my boy, the Safari Zone has always been my dream. From the first one I opened in Kanto to the one I own here now, having a place where many different kinds of Pokèmon can live and where people can come and catch them to their hearts content . . . It's always been my vision, the goal that I worked toward! But now . . . now I am too old to carry on this vision - to old to truly call the Safari Zone my responsibility alone. That is why I designed these tests, Ethan - these tests to find someone who was worthy of being my heir, someone who could carry on the Safari Zone vision! My boy, that someone is you!"

"I . . . Wow." Ethan pulled off his hat, ran a hand through his hair, and then jammed the hat back on his head - fidgeting pointlessly with it as he tried to think of something to say. "That's . . . That's huge. I . . . Um, Baoba, I really don't have any experience with running a Safari Zone . . ."

Baoba laughed, the sound deep and rumbling. "Not to worry! I'll still be here, in the background, and all of the employees who work here will remain."

"Well, that's good, but I still . . ." Ethan looked down at Mari, who looked incredulously back up at him. Ethan didn't want to say no; he didn't want to be rude and turn down Baoba's more than generous offer. After all, all Ethan had done was catch a couple of Pokèmon, and now the entire Safari Zone was his to own. All of those Pokèmon were technically his now, and the mere thought made his heart jump with excitement. Of course, they were all still wild, but even so . . . if the Safari Zone was his, then he technically had rights to all of the Pokèmon within. It was practically a dream come true.

But then again, Ethan had never mentioned wanting to own the Safari Zone before - in fact, the thought had never even occurred to him. Baoba hadn't even offered it to Ethan, but had instead just dumped it on Ethan's lap without even so much as a "hold this" before doing so. Ethan wasn't sure how to react, or what he was supposed to do. _I wish I could call Lyra,_ Ethan thought. _She seems to get into situations like this all the time._

"Baoba," Ethan finally said, "are you sure about this? Really sure? I mean, I'm just a kid; you have to want someone more experienced -"

"Who's more experienced at the Safari Zone than you, my boy?" Baoba interrupted, and Ethan closed his mouth, shrugging helplessly. "Besides, nothing will change! The Pokèmon will still need to be captured if you want them, you'll still have to pay the entry fee to get in -"

"I will?" Ethan interrupted, blinking in surprise. "But if I'm the owner, shouldn't I get in for free?"

Baoba laughed another deep, hearty laugh. "We need the money to keep the place up and running! If you were going in for free catching all the Pokèmon, we'd be out of business in no time!"

"Well, I guess, but . . ." Ethan bit his lip, and then said, "So basically what you're saying is, I'm going to be the owner in nothing but name? You'll call me the owner, but basically I'll still just be like any regular customer?"

Baoba thought about it for a moment before grinning, nodding once. "That sounds about right!"

Whereas some people might have been exasperated by this, or even a little upset, Ethan actually found himself smiling a little at the news. While owning the Safari Zone sounded like an amazingly generous offer at first, Ethan still had a long way to go on his Pokèmon journey, and he wasn't quite ready to settle down and take on a major business venture just yet.

"Okay, Baoba," he said, and Baoba beamed at his agreement. "You've got yourself a deal." Ethan held out his hand and Baoba shook it, his grip strong.

"Excellent, Ethan, excellent! Now, to discuss future plans I had for the Safari Zone, just to see how you think they work out . . ."

* * *

**062. With the Sea as a Backdrop**

Olivine City was a naturally crowded place, given that it was a port town, but even with the crowds that continuously lined the streets and gathered on the docks, it was hard to miss a boy who was dressed in a juggler's get-up, standing on the edge of the dock, staring out at a ship as it sailed off to sea. As he neared the dock, Ethan recognized the juggler as the one he'd battled near Goldenrod City - a boy named Irwin. Apparently, Ethan wasn't the only one with a good memory; Irwin turned as Ethan approached, and the bliss that was already present in his expression shifted to one of surprise, yet recognition.

"Hey! You're one of Lyra's friends, aren't you?" Irwin called, and Ethan found himself frowning slightly, though he wasn't exactly sure why.

"Yeah. You're Irwin, right?"

"Yes!" Irwin turned back to look out to sea, squinting as he tried to catch sight of the ship that was getting farther away by the second. "Lyra just left," he said, and Ethan felt his frown deepen. "She got on that ship that's way out there. I didn't have a ticket, so I couldn't get on, but I could see _her_ get on." Irwin sighed dreamily. "She looked so beautiful. The bright ocean set beautifully against her dark hair, and her eyes reflected the light glistening off the surface . . ."

"Did you come all the way out here just to watch Lyra get on the S. S. Aqua?"

"No!" Irwin said, and for one brief moment, Ethan was relieved. "Getting to see Lyra look gorgeous as she boarded the ship was just a bonus. I always see everything that Lyra does. I'm there for her Gym battles, and for her epic matches of destiny . . . I go wherever I can if it means seeing her!"

"You follow her around?" On top of feeling displeased for reasons he couldn't quite explain, Ethan now felt disturbed for reasons he _could_. "Does she know that you follow her?"

"Of course! I mean, we don't talk much, but I let her know what I manage to see when I call her!" Irwin held up his cell phone as evidence. "Oh, when I hear her sweet voice through the phone, it makes my heart melt. She rocks my world - no, she rocks my very _soul_!"

". . . Right." Ethan was not a violent person, and so while pushing Irwin off the dock might have occurred to someone like Will, Ethan just stuffed his hands in his pockets to make sure that any sudden urges to inflict bodily harm on Irwin would not come to pass. Unfortunately for Irwin, Mari had no such scruples, and so while Irwin was gushing about Lyra one second, the next Mari's tail had lashed around his ankles, knocking his feet out from under him and sending him plummeting off the dock and into the sea.

"Mari!" Ethan scolded, rounding on his Marill. She looked up at him with a perfectly innocent, _who, me?_ type of expression, acting as though she hadn't even moved. "You know exactly what you did," Ethan continued, recognizing the look for what it was. "You shouldn't have done it."

Mari thumped her tail against the wooden planks of the dock, looking completely unapologetic. In fact, as Irwin resurfaced, gasping for air and shaking water out of his eyes the way a dog might, she turned and fired a low level Water Gun at him, knocking him back under the water.

"Mari," Ethan said firmly, and this time Mari did seem to acknowledge what she was doing, but only to grin cheekily up at him. Ethan sighed, bending down to scoop his Marill into his arms and carry her off. Because even if he didn't agree with reacting violently to Irwin, and even if he knew that he would feel somewhat guilty later . . .

"No! I dropped my phone when I fell! Someone, help! Anyone, help me! I dropped my phone, it could be at the bottom of the sea by now, and how am I supposed to call Lyra if I don't have it? Please, someone help me find it!"

. . . Ethan had to admit that, on some deep, dark level, he liked what Mari did a _whole_ lot.

* * *

**063. On a Boat**

Five minutes into her trip to Kanto, Lyra decided that although she loved riding the waves on Hydra, she also loved sailing.

The rhythm of the speed ship rocking on the waves made her stomach flip-flop, and there seemed to be endless rooms to explore. True, there were also endless trainers who were itching for battles, but after beating the Elite Four, beating a bunch of sailors and shipmates was hardly a challenge. Pantalaimon took out most of them; he was the one who remained out of the Pokèball for the trip, racing along the wooden deck and sometimes even hopping up onto the railing, despite how nervous that made Lyra feel.

"Come on, Pan," she urged, her eyes darting down to the rushing waves below the ship. "Get off the railing before you fall." Pantalaimon gave her a defiant look before he continued crawling along the railing, making all the hairs on the back of Lyra's neck stand up due to nerves. "Come on, off the railing . . ."

"Aw, don't kill his buzz!" Lyra looked over to see a trio of trainers she didn't recognize watching her and Pantalaimon, and she frowned. "He's on a boat!"

"I know he's on a boat," Lyra replied, "but -"

"He's on a boat and it's going fast and he's got a nautical-themed pashmina afghan!" the trainer continued in a sing-song voice. Lyra furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What? No, he doesn-"

"He's king of the world, on a boat like Leo! If you're on the shore, then you're sure not he-oh!"

"What does that even _mean_?" Lyra asked, her frustration mounting. "Look, I appreciate the fact that you want him to have fun, but _I_ just want him to stay _on_ the boat and not go tumbling into the oc- aah! Pan!"

The ship hit a particularly large wave at that point, practically bouncing on the water's surface, and Lyra's heart flew to her throat as she imagined Pantalaimon tumbling off the railing and plummeting into the waves. But before he lost his balance he jumped off the railing of his own accord, landing safely back onto the wooden dock, and bouncing faithfully over to sit at her feet.

"Oh, thank goodness," Lyra breathed, bending down to put a hand on Pantalaimon's head. As her relief faded, she gave him a stern look. "Stay off the railing from now on, okay, Pan? No matter what other trainers have to say." She turned to shoot the trio of trainers a displeased look, but the one nearest her merely spread his arms wide, continuing in his sing-song voice.

"Hey ma, if you could see me now, arms spread wide on the starboard bow. Gonna fly this boat to the moon somehow! Like Dragon Master Lance, anything is possible!"

Lyra still didn't really get what the other trainer was going on about, but she decided it didn't matter. Rolling her eyes, she stood up, and motioned for Pantalaimon to follow her. "Come on, Pan. Let's go do something else . . ."

* * *

**064. Rescue the Innocent**

So, when Lyra said she was going to "do something else," she hadn't expected that "something else" to be tracking down a little girl who seemed to have a habit of running wild on the cruise ship. Honestly, Lyra thought that it was rather irresponsible of the little girl's grandfather, and thought that he could be doing a _lot_ more to control the child than he was (which was nothing, in fact, given that he was just sitting in his room), but that didn't change the fact that the little girl was running loose and that it was Lyra's job to find her.

The problem lay in the fact that the S. S. Aqua was _huge_, and there was no way that Lyra could cover the entire thing by herself and hope to find the child, especially if the child didn't stay in one hiding spot. Thus, Lyra released Sam, Dean, Byrnison, and Scoresby (for Hydra could not easily move through the corridors of the ship). Sam and Dean went off in one direction, Byrnison and Pantalaimon in another, Lyra on her own and Scoresby to search the deck from the sky, just in case the little girl ran up onto it.

The ones who were making the most progress, however, were Sam and Dean. Sam, being a psychic-type, was able to sense the little girls' whereabouts. He raced along the corridor, Dean dogging his steps, watchful of anything that might jump out behind a door or around a corner. Sam, after all, wasn't paying attention to anything besides the presence of the little girl, focusing entirely on locating her and bringing her to safety. It was how he usually was, whenever he had a set goal; he focused on the goal and thought of nothing else, his own safety included. To be honest, it irritated Dean; he would have appreciated Sam having just a little bit more concern for his own safety. Just a bit.

_"She's this way, Dean,"_ Sam called back, not even bothering to turn his head as he ran. Dean felt like rolling his eyes.

_"I gathered that from the way you're running, Sam. But slow down, would ya? She's not going anywhere."_

_"She could be. Better to be safe than sorry."_

This time Dean _did_ roll his eyes (as much as an Umbreon was able, anyway) and ran ahead, quickening his pace so that he was running alongside Sam instead of behind. _"Where is she?"_

_"I'm leading you to her."_

_"No."_ Dean ran in front of Sam, effectively halting Sam's progress, and gave him a stern look. _"I'm taking point. Tell me where she is and I'll lead."_

Sam's ears drooped and his two-pronged tail dropped to the floor, a whine entering his voice. _"Dean . . ."_

_"Now, Sammy."_

Sam huffed, glaring at Dean, but answered regardless. _"She's around the corner, hiding behind some trash cans, I think. But Dean, come off it, it's not like this is a battle, you don't need to 'take point' -"_

_"What's that, Sammy? Can't hear you. I'm already too far ahead."_ As he spoke Dean turned, bounding forward to round the corner, Sam hot on his heels.

_"You're obnoxious, you know that?"_ Sam asked. Dean felt a thrill of amusement.

_"Says you. I think I'm made of win and awesome."_

Dean heard Sam laugh quietly behind him just as the trash cans came into view. Sure enough, just as Sam said, the little girl was crouched behind the trash cans. Dean could smell her before he saw her, but it wasn't too hard to miss her little crouched form behind the metal cans, not even fully obstructed from view.

_"Seriously? That's the best hiding place she could come up with?"_ Dean snorted. _"Wow, humans are geniuses, they are. Seriously, we didn't even need your sixth sense to find this kid."_

_"She's just that - a kid, Dean. Cut her some slack."_ Sam walked around the side of the trash cans, and when he did, the little girl screamed and jumped backwards, flattening herself against the wall. Dean flattened his own ears against his head, trying to block out the shrill noise.

_"Oh yeah. Because that thing deserves to be cut slack. Why are we even on babysitting duty? How the hell is some missing human kid our problem?"_

_"It's not really __our__ problem, but it's __Lyra's__ problem, and she's our trainer, so we should help out. Besides, protecting the innocent is a __good__ thing, Dean. It's nice to be able to help out."_ Sam's explanation was as patient as ever, but that didn't make Dean feel any more agreeable to the situation.

_"Yeah, yeah. Lot of help we can be, when the kid's afraid of us."_

_"She's probably just not used to Pokèmon,"_ Sam said, and then took a step closer to the girl, who whimpered and backed away. _"Hey,"_ he said, his voice gentle. _"It's okay, we won't hurt you."_

_"Uh, Sammy?"_ Dean asked, taking a seat. _"You know she can't understand a word you're saying, right? Humans are too stupid to understand Pokèmon."_

Sam glared at Dean. _"It doesn't mean I can't try."_

"Go away," the human girl squeaked, waving one hand in Sam's direction as if to shoo him away. Dean scowled. "You're not Grandpa's! You're not nice! Go away!"

_"Are you kidding?"_ Dean asked rhetorically. _"Sammy's one of the nicest Pokèmon you'll meet. Be glad I'm not the one dealing with you."_

_"The fact that you're not putting in the effort is what shows that you're not nice,"_ Sam said, and Dean scoffed.

_"Whatever. Look, just grab her by her hair and start dragging her so we can get this over with."_

_"What? No! I'm not hurting her, Dean!"_

_"Then use your freaky psychic powers to move her."_

_"That'll just scare her."_

_"Then what do you want to do, Sam?"_ Dean demanded impatiently. _"She can't understand Pokèmon and I don't want to wait here all day."_

_"We don't even know where the others are,"_ Sam reasoned. _"Lyra, Pantalaimon, and Byrnison could be anywhere. I guess we could take her on deck, where Scoresby is, but that doesn't really solve the problem, either. The best thing to do would be to just remain here and keep an eye on her."_

_"Great,"_ Dean grumbled. _"Fantastic."_

_"You can take a nap or something, if you want,"_ Sam suggested. Dean threw him a look.

_"Are you crazy? And leave you here practically alone?"_

_"We're on a cruise ship, Dean, not a warzone. I think I'm safe."_

_"That's what you said in Olivine."_

_"Oh, come on, how was I supposed to know that someone's Hypno had gone crazy?"_

_"Just saying."_

Sam huffed again, taking a seat by the little girl, who still looked positively terrified. _"Fine. Don't take a nap. I don't care."_

_"Good. I'm glad you don't."_

After a few moments, Sam said, _"You know, you could always go get Lyra and -"_

_"No,"_ Dean interrupted shortly.

_"Okay, then I could go get -"_

_"No."_

_"Why not?"_ Sam demanded, sounding frustrated. _"If one of us stays with the girl to make sure she's safe, then the other should be able to go get Lyra. That way we won't be waiting here all day, and everyone can be rounded up."_

_"Because if one of us leaves, you're unprotected,"_ Dean retorted, _"and I'm not having that."_

_"Dean, I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself. I wiped the floor with most of Koga's __and__ most of Bruno's Pokèmon, and I took on two of Lance's Dragonite."_

_"And the third used you to break a statue. So what?"_ Dean turned in time to see Sam wince from the memory, and felt vindicated in his decision. _"The answer's no."_

_"It's not like this is a dangerous place, Dean. It's a cruise ship. The only people here are other trainers, and I doubt their Pokèmon are just running loose."_

_"We're running loose. We don't have to be the only one with a trainer who sends her Pokèmon out to do crazy shit."_

_"Dean,"_ Sam said seriously, _"either you go get Lyra, or I will."_

Dean stood up, and turned to face Sam, glaring. _"You're not going anywhere."_

_"Then you go,"_ Sam said. _"I can protect the human while you go get our trainer so we can get this over with. That, or I can go. I'm not really seeing a third option here."_

Dean glared at Sam, but Sam stared right back, his eyes big and imploring. It only took a couple of seconds before Dean sighed in irritation, turning to run back down the corridor.

_"Fine,"_ he snapped. _"But if anything happens while I'm gone, I'm kicking your ass when I get back."_ Those words said he ran off, but not before he heard Sam chuckle and say:

_"Love you too, jerk."_

All in all, it didn't take that long to find Lyra. She was nearer to the center of the ship, investigating one of the stock rooms, but she'd left her scent marked all over the corridors that she'd investigated, and Dean was good at tracking. She turned to him with surprise when he barked to get her attention, and an excited grin split her cheeks when he ran up.

"Dean! There you are. Did you find the little girl?" Lyra paused, then, frowning. "Where's Sam? Is he back with her?"

_"No, I pitched him off the side of the ship,"_ Dean replied sarcastically, though he knew she couldn't understand him, especially when she answered with a smile.

"He must be, then. Can you lead me to him?"

_"No, of course I can't. Seriously, what do you think?"_ Dean shook his head, turning and padding out of the storeroom. _"I have a real winner for a trainer . . ."_

Nonetheless, Lyra did follow - Dean was at least grateful that she wasn't as thick as _some_ trainers, who would spend ages trying to figure out what their Pokèmon was saying instead of actually just _following_ like they were supposed to. But halfway back to the place where Dean had left Sam with the little girl, Dean was struck with the strangest feeling - a sort of jolt deep within his gut that made the rings in his fur grow a bit warmer, glowing with barely noticeable light due to the lamps in the corridors, his fur standing on end.

"Dean?" Lyra asked, and he didn't even look at her as she came to stand beside him. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

_No,_ Dean thought, and immediately took off at a sprint, ignoring the way Lyra shouted at him to slow down so that she could catch up. Whatever she wanted him to do was irrelevant; if she couldn't keep up because she only had two legs as opposed to four, that was her problem. Sammy was in trouble - Dean _knew_ it, he could _feel_ it - and he had to get back there pronto.

Dean's instincts were never wrong. When he rounded the corner and found himself face-to-face with the trashcans again, he also found himself face-to-face with Sam pinned between the now crying human girl, two Gengar, and a Hypno. Dean scowled. What was it with Hypno? It seemed like no matter how many he encountered, none of them were ever good.

_"Hey, chuckleheads,"_ he said loudly, getting all of the Pokèmon to turn in his direction. He raised his hackles in a Umbreon-style smirk, showing all of his fangs. _"How about we even the odds?"_

_"Dean!"_ Sam called, relief mixed with warning in his tone. _"Be careful."_

_"Pft, what do I have to be careful for? Ugly over there can't hurt me, and the other two clearly aren't hot-shots if they have to team up three-on-one."_ Dean shifted his weight on his paws so that he'd be able to move at a moment's notice, ears twitching to pick up even the slightest sound. _"So what's it going to be, boys?"_ he asked. _"You gonna go quietly, or do I have to send you back bleeding and crying? Well,"_ he amended, _"bleeding for big-nose. Ghosts don't have blood, do they?"_

_"Ooh, a wise-guy! How amusing,"_ the Hypno sneered, turning fully to face Dean. _"You're right, none of my psychic attacks will work on a filthy creature like you, but -"_

_"Watch what you say to him,"_ Sam snapped, tail lashing dangerously. The Hypno snorted.

_"Or what? You won't attack for fear of hitting the human child - a human child you wouldn't have to worry about any longer if you would get out of the way and leave her to me."_

_"Yeah, because there's a chance of that happening,"_ Sam retorted, and Dean felt like slapping a paw to the top of his head.

_"That's what all of this is about, Sammy? It's all over the kid?"_

_"Yeah,"_ Sam replied, but he didn't take his eyes off the three Pokèmon in front of him. _"They'll hurt her, Dean. I'm not letting that happen."_

For all of his cynicism regarding others, Dean felt a swell of pride inside of him at Sam's words. Sam was naïve, and he got himself into trouble for stupid reasons on an almost daily basis. Still, he had a good heart, and he stuck to what he felt was right. It was admirable. And Dean was not going to let him down.

_"Damn straight, Sammy,"_ he said, flashing his fangs once more. _"Let's show these freaks who's boss."_

Before any of the other Pokèmon could move, Dean bounded forward, focusing on his power to disappear just before one of the Gengar could reach out to swipe at him. He came back into their vision behind the Hypno, seconds before he pounced forward and sank his fangs into the Hypno's shoulder. The other Pokèmon howled in pain, toppling down to the floor, and Dean pounced off the Hypno's back, a bit of blood dripping from his mouth from where he'd bit down.

_"Having fun yet?"_ he asked, his voice dangerously low. _"Trust me, there's more where that came from. And if you want to go another round, next time I can aim for the thro -"_

A ghostly wail interrupted Dean's words - two wails, Dean realized, as he whipped his head around and saw both ghost Pokèmon writhing in pain, shrieking due to the force of Sam's Psychic attack. Sam ceased the attack after a moment, his eyes losing their ethereal glow and returning to normal, his gaze hard as he looked at both of the Gengar.

_"You do have a type advantage over me,"_ he said, _"but don't forget that I also have one over you. Try to sneak up behind him again and see what happens."_

Dean leveled a toothy grin at Sam. _"Thanks, Sammy."_

Sam smiled back. _"Any time, bro."_ His eyes flickered suddenly to something over Dean's head, and then widened. _"Dean, look out!"_

Dean turned in time to see a great yellow paw swinging his way, and deftly jumped out of the way, turning to face the Hypno again. The Hypno's shoulder was hurt badly due to Dean's earlier Faint Attack, staining his fur red, but though he had his teeth grit to bear the pain, he didn't seem ready to go down yet.

_"You're really lucky Sammy's here,"_ Dean growled. _"Because believe me, if he wasn't, I would Dark Pulse you so fast you'd beg for it to stop."_

_"Empty threats unless you follow through,"_ the Hypno mocked, and the temptation was strong - so strong, but one that Dean would have to resist. He couldn't risk hurting Sam with the attack, no matter how much the Hypno was asking for it.

So, instead of Dark Pulsing the Hypno to oblivion, Dean moved again, moving so fast that he disappeared from sight until he was approaching from the Hypno's other side. Then, drawing on the Quick Claw around his neck for extra speed, he pounced, knocking the Hypno to the floor and attacking the Hypno's chest. Just as the other Pokèmon screamed in pain, Lyra rounded the corner, crying out in alarm and shock at what she saw.

"Dean? What are you doing?"

_"Kicking this Hypno's ass,"_ Dean said, spitting out a bit of the Hypno's fur right back into the yellow Pokèmon's face. The Hypno flinched. Turning, he saw that Pantalaimon was by Lyra's feet, having undoubtedly helped her find the scene. _"And don't give me that look. He deserves it."_

_"What happened?"_ Pantalaimon asked, and then his voice became more stern. _"You know that Lyra could get in a lot of trouble if you're battling without her, right?"_

_"This is more of a brawl than a battle. Besides, jerkass here deserved it. So did those two Gengar that Sammy took out."_

"Dean, come back over here. Get off the Hypno," Lyra said, her voice still full of shock even as she tried to regain authority. Dean would have rather kept beating on the Hypno, but he did as he was told regardless, backing up so that he was standing closer to Sam. "Now, let's find out who that Hypno belon- hey!"

The Hypno got to its feet, staggering due to the pain it felt, and took off back down the corridor. The two Gengar, upon seeing that the Hypno had fled, faded out of sight. Now that the noise from the battle was gone, the little human's crying was louder than ever, her wails echoing off the corridor.

"Hey," Lyra said, walking over and kneeling down beside the little girl, who hiccupped as she tried to get her tears under control. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I promise, all the mean Pokèmon are gone now. You're safe now, okay? How about I take you back to your grandpa?"

The little girl nodded, and launched herself at Lyra, who caught the girl in a hug. Dean turned away, more annoyed by the image or anything, and Sam walked over to him with a smile.

_"Well, I guess it all worked out, huh?"_ Dean turned, glaring at Sam.

_"Worked out? 'Oh, Dean, I'll be fine, you go find Lyra!' Yeah, fine my ass. I come back here to find you cornered by three sons-of-bitches with some crying human kid behind you. How the hell is that 'fine,' Sam?"_

_"Well, I'm not hurt,"_ Sam replied, _"and neither are you, and neither is the little girl. Lyra and Pan look fine, too, and I'm sure Scoresby, Byrnison, and Hydra are also safe. Not to mention you took a chunk out of that Hypno's shoulder. So, it all worked out."_

_"I guess,"_ Dean grumbled, but it was then that he caught a somewhat pensive expression on Sam's face. _"What?"_

_"Nothing,"_ Sam replied, a little too quickly. Dean turned fully to face him, ears perked up.

_"Sam . . ."_

_"It's just, didn't that Hypno seem familiar to you?"_ Sam asked, turning to face Dean, his tail swishing behind him. Dean cocked his head, and then laughed.

_"Sammy, that looked like every other Hypno to me. Ugly, bitchy, and with breath that would kill a Gloom."_

Sam rolled his eyes. _"No, Dean, I'm serious. I think that was the same one from Olivine four months ago."_

Dean considered it for a moment, and then shook his head. _"What are the odds of that happening, Sammy?"_ he asked. _"Seriously, just forget about it, okay? Both Hypno are gone, and they're not likely to come back. I really doubt that was the same one, anyway. It was probably just another dick looking to prey on a small child, like all other Hypno."_

_"Yeah . . ."_ Sam murmured, staring off at where the Hypno had gone. _"Maybe . . ."_

"Sam, Dean?" Lyra called, drawing their attention back. "Come on, we're going to take the little girl back to her grandfather now." The little human child had stopped crying, but she was still sniffling as she held Lyra's hand, looking warily back over at Sam and Dean.

_"Come on, Sammy, we better go,"_ Dean said, padding back over to Lyra. Sam stayed rooted to the spot, still staring after the Hypno. _"Sammy?"_

_"Huh? Oh, yeah, coming."_ Sam started to follow Dean, still looking just thoughtful enough to make Dean feel a thread of concern. _"Coming . . ."_

* * *

**065. Pro-Tip**

Lyra had to say that she was not very sorry to see the S. S. Aqua go. As much as it was proclaimed to be a "cruise ship," between Pantalaimon almost being thrown off the side and the unregulated battle that took place between her Umbreon and a Hypno, the ride hadn't been relaxing at all, and she was glad to be on dry land again.

But, of course, nothing was ever really easy or relaxing in her life. As she walked down the dock toward Vermillion City, a flash of blue and purple caught her eye, and she turned to see Suicune standing on the water, mane billowing in the salty sea wind.

_Suicune!_ Lyra thought, her mouth paralyzed by the way her heart had jumped to her throat. Just like Entei, the sight of Suicune standing so close took Lyra's breath away, even if Suicune wasn't standing directly in front of her, and was staring impassively at her rather than appearing menacing. _But, wait, if Suicune is here, then . . ._

"Suicune!"

"Eusine is also here," Lyra mumbled, sighing. At her feet, Pantalaimon made a little sound of derision in his throat, especially as Suicune turned and bolted across the waves, its paws barely making a splash despite how hard they were hitting the water. Eusine practically threw himself at the railing, watching as Suicune ran off, and then pounded his fist against the metal bar.

"Damn it! I was so close! I thought I could ambush it here, but . . ." He turned suddenly, his eyes pinned on Lyra, and Lyra felt a thrill of something akin to intimidation spike through her. "It doesn't matter, though. The pattern continues, which means that Suicune will show up again!"

"Pattern?" Lyra asked, frowning. "You mean . . . that Suicune prefers water?"

Eusine blinked, frowning slightly. "Well, I didn't think of it that way," he admitted. "Actually, I just meant the pattern that Suicune seems to prefer _you_ at the moment." Lyra felt her cheeks heat up, and she shifted uncomfortably on the spot.

"Oh."

"But that's irrelevant," Eusine continued. "Or, it will be irrelevant, in the end."

"What?"

"Lyra, let me give you some friendly advice." Eusine walked a bit closer, and whatever he said about being friendly, Lyra wasn't so sure she believed him. "Back off Suicune. If Suicune comes near you, step away. If Suicune seems like it wants to battle you, refuse. Whatever you do, _do not_ go near Suicune."

"Um . . . Okay?" Lyra took a step back from Eusine, feeling a bit alarmed. Pantalaimon's fur bristled in response. "Is there, um . . . Is there any particular reason why you're telling me this, Eusine?"

"Yes," Eusine answered promptly. "I want you to stay out of my way. Because if you do something to scare off Suicune permanently, or if you happen to somehow become Suicune's Chosen One - like such a thing is even conceivable! - then . . . Well . . ." Eusine glared at her. "I'm not going to be happy."

Lyra frowned. "Well, I'm not happy at the way you're threatening me. Seriously, Eusine, I'm not even going after Suicune. If anything, Suicune is coming after _me_ -"

"Don't even say that!" Eusine interrupted her, voice harsh, and Lyra's eyes widened. He looked _furious_, and though Lyra knew that any one of her Pokèmon could take out Eusine's, the true anger in his eyes actually scared her a little. "You don't know - you don't know anything _about_ Suicune! There's no way Suicune could _ever_ choose you! You got lucky somehow with Lugia - I don't know how, but you did - but Suicune won't make the same mistake! And for that matter, neither will Ho-Oh! So stay away from Ho-Oh, too!"

"Okay, okay!" Lyra said, raising her hands in defense. "I'll do my best to stay away from Suicune and Ho-Oh!"

"Good!" Eusine said, and some of the fire faded from his eyes, though certainly not all of it. "Because Suicune is mine and Ho-Oh is Morty's. You already stole Lugia; I won't let you steal them as well!"

"I didn't steal -" Lyra began, but then stopped, not wanting to prolong the fight any longer. The sooner Eusine left, the better. "Right. I'll stay away."

"Good," Eusine repeated, turning so that his cape swirled around him. "Now, I've got to go. There's more to be done. Good day!" With that, he started off. Lyra considered pointing out that by that point darkness had fallen and it was nighttime, but decided against it, instead looking down at Pantalaimon.

"Pan," she began, "do you think he might try to strangle me if, for some ungodly reason, Suicune really does pick me?" Pantalaimon bobbed his head in an affirmative nod, and Lyra sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that . . ."

* * *

_**References and things that are borrowed (but nothing blue): **_

1.) In case some still haven't caught it, Dean the badass Umbreon and Sam the gentle Espeon are based off brothers Dean and Sam Winchester from the TV show _Supernatural_, both in name and in personality. As a result, many of the things in the Dean-and-Sam-centric drabble were borrowed from that show. These things include:

-_Dean's nickname for Sam, "Sammy"_

_-The line "What's that Sammy? I can't hear you, I'm too far ahead" is a reference to the line "What's that Sammy? I can't hear you, the music's too loud" from the first episode_

_-The line "I'm not really seeing a third option here" is a direct rip from episode four of season one, "Phantom Traveler"_

_-"Chuckleheads" is a modification of an insult Dean uses in the show, which is "Chuckles"_

_-"Yeah . . . maybe . . ." is pretty much the default Sam'n'Dean response to any suggestion when they're not really sure of it in the show. It was used practically once an episode in early seasons (sometimes multiple times an episode) but has become less frequent as time has gone on._

2.) The song "On a Boat" belongs to The Lonely Island. I really just couldn't resist.


	8. Set Eight

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Eight**

**

* * *

**

**066. Fan Club**

It was really just pure chance that Lyra wandered into the Vermillion City Pokèmon Fan Club, but she wasn't expecting what she found.

At first, everyone seemed friendly enough. Mostly people weren't talking to each other, but were instead cooing over their own Pokèmon. That was fine; Lyra always paid special attention to _her_ Pokèmon, too, so she couldn't fault these people for loving their own. But when a woman nearby looked at Pantalaimon and gave a derisive snort, Lyra frowned, feeling slightly defensive.

"What?"

"Nothing," the woman replied, but when Lyra continued to frown at her, said, "Well, it's just . . . do you _really_ train that _weasel_?"

Lyra's frown turned into a scowl, and Pantalaimon made an insulted noise. "He's not a weasel, he's a Furret," Lyra snapped. "And yes, I train him. He's my best friend."

"Hmph." The woman smirked, turning to stroke her Wigglytuff's ears. "Whatever it is, it's a nasty little thing, isn't it?" The woman asked, and then switched to using a baby voice. "Not like my wittle Wiggles, isn't that right, Wiggles? Oh yes it is, oh yes it is!"

"No, it's not! Pan's not a "thing," and he's not "nasty," either!" Lyra clenched her fists. "Don't talk about him like that, especially since the only thing nasty here is the way you talk to others!"

The woman turned, giving Lyra a half-scandalized, half-furious look. "Did you just call me nasty?" she asked, and Lyra stared back defiantly.

"You bet I did!"

"What's going on?" Another member of the Pokèmon Club had wandered over, and before the woman could speak, Lyra spoke up.

"She insulted my Furret for no good reason!"

"Really?" The man smirked, putting his hands in his pockets. "Is that all? There's no reason to get upset over that. After all, both her Wigglytuff and your Furret are no match for my Nidoking."

"You keep telling yourself that, Roger," the woman sniffed, "but your Nidoking will never be as fabulous as my Wiggles!"

As the man and the woman started bickering, Lyra could only stare, slowly looking around at the other people in the room. Now that she looked at them, she could see that the other Fan Club Members were bickering too, arguing over whose Pokèmon was superior. As much as Lyra believed that her Pokèmon really were the best, she decided that she didn't want to take part in the fight. It wasn't fun, just stressful.

"So much for being a fan club," she muttered to Pantalaimon as they slipped out the door. "This is much more of a hate club if you ask me . . ."

* * *

**067. Drill Sergeant**

It was bad enough that Lyra had to search through trash cans in order to find the switches to reach Gym Leader Lt. Surge; the last thing she expected or needed was to be shouted at as soon as she approached him, met with nothing but an unimpressed, expectant stare.

"Did you get through my barriers, private?"

"Uh . . . Yes!" Lyra said, and upon seeing his eyes darken, hastily added, "Sir!"

"What is your name, private?"

"Lyra, sir!"

"Drop and give me fifty, Private Lyra!"

"Yes, sir!" Lyra dropped to the floor as instructed, yet then paused, frowning. "Uh, fifty what? Sir?"

Lt. Surge continued to stare at her for a few moments, his scowl very pronounced, before he burst into laughter. Behind Lyra, the other trainers in the Gym also began laughing, loud and unrepentant. Lyra frowned, standing up slowly.

"Um . . ."

"I was just messing with you, kid!" Lt. Surge said, amusement deep in his voice. "I do that with every little trainer who comes scampering into my Gym! And they all fall for it!"

"Oh." Lyra felt her cheeks darken slightly, and cleared her throat to try and regain her composure. "Well, I want a match! I'm the Johto League Champion, and—"

"You think shiny little trophies matter on a battlefield, kid?" Lt. Surge interrupted, and Lyra shut her mouth with an audible clack. "Well, you're wrong! The only thing that matters is guts and strength! And my Pokèmon? My Pokèmon have all that and more! Get ready to be electrocuted, kid!"

"Bring it on, sir!" Lyra replied, stepping back and pointing forward, sending Byrnison lumbering forth. "Byrnison! Rollout!"

* * *

**068. Extrasensory**

Dean had loved the Saffron City Gym. Barely any of the Pokèmon there could hit him, given that he was a dark-type, and that made it all too easy for Lyra and Dean to make their way from warp panel to warp panel, going from room to room until they finally managed to make it to Sabrina. By the time Lyra stepped off the warp pad she felt somewhat dizzy, and was about to comment as such, but was stopped by the Saffron City Gym Leader before she could.

"Dizzy, are you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Lyra looked down at Dean, who merely seemed to scoff at Sabrina's preemptive strike. "I'm—"

"Lyra Hart, from New Bark Town," Sabrina finished. Her eyes were closed, her fingers to one temple. "You have traveled far, defeating the eight Gym Leaders of Johto, the Elite Four as well as standing Champion Lance, and Lt. Surge of Vermillion City before coming here. Your Pokèmon are a Typhlosion, Furret, Espeon, Umbreon, oddly colored Gyarados and a Skarmory. You have a childhood best friend named Ethan, and a curious relationship with a boy named Will." Sabrina paused, and then added, "You also seem to be tied into the fates of Eusine and Morty from Ecruteak City."

Lyra stared at Sabrina. Several times she opened her mouth to say something, yet then merely closed it again, unsure of _what_ to say. Finally she managed to choke out, "That, uh . . . That's a lot of stuff you know about me. It's, um . . . It's actually a bit . . . unsettling."

"I apologize." Sabrina's voice remained as toneless as ever, and she finally opened her dark eyes. "Allow me to introduce myself now that I have introduced you. I am Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City, and the most powerful psychic in either Kanto or Johto – even more powerful than my dear friend Morty."

Lyra's eyes widened. "Morty's psychic?"

A faint, barely-there smile quirked Sabrina's lips. "He claims he isn't," she said. "And that is why his powers do not grow stronger – because he will not allow them to."

"What—"

"You have come here for a Gym Match, not to discuss Morty," Sabrina interrupted, standing up. She was taller than Lyra, with dark hair that fell to her shoulders and strong eyes. "I have been honing my psychic abilities since I was a child. Not only am I adept at telekinesis and telepathy, but precognition is also one of my strong suits. I have foreseen this battle, Lyra Hart; I have also foreseen my victory."

Sabrina's knowledge of everything about Lyra's life was still unsettling, but if there was one thing Lyra was determined not to do, it was lose. "We'll see about that," she said. "Psychics can't fight against dark-types, so I'll bet your precognition can't really foresee them, either! Dean! Let's do this!"

"Yes," Sabrina answered, closing her eyes and spreading her hands. A Pokèball came off her belt, flying forward of its own accord to release an Espeon. "Let's."

* * *

**069. I Know You Are But What Am I**

The Silph Company's headquarters stood tall and proud in Saffron City. Will looked up at the building, craning his head back to stare all the way at the top. Three years ago, his father had tried to take over Silph. Three years ago, his father had almost succeeded. And three years ago, his father had failed, defeated by a ten-year-old child. Will's father was weak – Will knew that better than anyone else. But even so, looking at the building where the defeat had taken place . . . Will wasn't really sure what to think.

"It's not like it matters," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It's in the past now. It doesn't matter anymore."

"It doesn't matter anymore."

The voice was young and female and came from behind him. Will turned to see a young girl with her hands shoved into her pockets just like his, a scowl on her face to match his own. She'd tried to make her voice deeper, and had done a remarkably good job at matching the timbre of his voice, but there was no changing the fact that she looked to be no older than eight.

"Who are you?" Will asked, raising one eyebrow. The little girl mirrored his eyebrow raise perfectly.

"Who are you?"

Will rolled his eyes. "Very mature."

"Very mature."

"Stop that."

"Stop that."

"What do you even stand to gain from it?" Will asked, but the girl spoke with him, matching him word-for-word. Will glared at her. "How are you even doing that? Stop saying what I'm saying! You're nothing but a little brat! Do you have any idea of who you're messing with? Do you want to face my Pokèmon? Is that what you really want?"

"Okay, okay!" The little girl said, her voice returning to its normal pitch as Will reached for his Feraligatr's Pokèball. "There's no need to get mad! I'm Copycat – this is what I do!"

"Copycat. Right." Will replaced his Feraligatr's Pokèball, turning away. "Well, get out of here before I release the hounds."

"Get out of here before I—okay, okay, going!" Will had turned back to glare at her, reaching once again for one of his Pokèballs, but the little girl – giggling all the while – took off running down a side street. Will watched her go, scowling, yet then shook his head.

Some people really were just too annoying to live.

* * *

**070. Party Spot**

Cerulean City smelled like chlorine.

There was no other way to describe it. It wasn't just when she neared the Gym, where she knew there were pools because someone told her; the entire city smelled distinctly of chlorine, like she was in a giant swimming hall rather than a city. Lyra didn't mind _too_ much – it wasn't like she hated the smell – but at the same time, it was just _strange_.

What was more was that everyone in the city seemed to be in the mood for a beach party. Even the people who ran businesses, such as the bike shop owner or the workers at the PokèMart, seemed to be giggly and ready to shirk work at any time.

"Why not?" someone asked when they overheard Lyra making a remark about it. "Life's a party, right? Might as well live it up, especially at the Cape!"

"Yeah," another boy piped up, grinning. "Cerulean Cape is the place to be. Even the Gym Leader Misty has high hopes about _that_ place."

"Really?" Lyra looked out toward the cape, and he nodded.

"Yep! It's a hot date spot – especially the bridge at night."

"I see . . ." Lyra turned to say something else, but the boy had already run off, going toward a couple of girls wearing swimsuits. Lyra rolled her eyes, starting toward the Cape.

_Not even Cianwood City was this bad . . ._

* * *

**071. Volunteering**

If things were crazy in Cerulean City, they weren't any tamer in the Power Plant.

In fact, in a way, they were even worse. Everyone was frantic, and Lyra nearly got trampled as she tried to enter, eyes wide at the commotion inside.

"What's going on?" she asked a police officer nearby. He looked down at her, looking bemused at her presence.

"One of the parts was stolen from the generator," he said. "We're investigating that now, but it pretty much screws over all of Kanto. If we don't have the generator up and running, nothing can function. Not the Radio Tower, not the Magnet Train . . ."

Lyra had heard, of course, about the Magnet Train being down before she'd left Saffron, but she hadn't guessed that the problem lay with the Power Plant that she currently stood in. In truth, she'd only explored out that way because Misty wasn't in her Gym; the last thing she'd expected was to find herself in the middle of a search party.

Or a large man shouting in her face, for that matter.

"Who are you?" The man's face was red and sweaty, and he'd charged at Lyra like an angry Tauros the second he'd spotted her. "What are you doing here? Did you steal the part?"

"I – no!" Lyra shook her head. "I just came here to explore! I didn't take it!"

"Oh." The man backed off, and Pantalaimon – who'd been ready to bite the man's ankles if necessary – huffed in agitation. "Well, when I find out who _did_ steal the part, I'mma fire my Charge Beam at 'em!" He paused, and then narrowed his eyes at Lyra. "You still look suspicious, though, girlie."

"Well, I didn't take it," Lyra huffed, folding her arms. He continued to stare at her for a few moments before he declared:

"Then find it."

"What?"

"Find my generator part. Find it and bring it back here and then I'll clear you of suspicion." Lyra opened her mouth to reply, but the man waved an arm at her, very nearly knocking her hat off her head. "Go on! Get out of here! Go find my part!"

"Okay, fine, I'm going!" Lyra ducked as he swung a beefy arm again, taking off for the door, Pantalaimon streaking along ahead of her. Once outside, she scowled and kicked a rock back at the door of the Power Plant. "Jeez, what is his problem?" Lyra demanded, even though she knew there was no one around who could answer her. "It's like he fried his brain on an electrical socket or something . . ."

* * *

**072. To Catch a Thief**

"Team Rocket?" Lyra deadpanned, staring at the man before her. "Really?"

She'd seen the man in black run out of the Cerulean Gym and had chased him to the bridge, where he interrupted two people on their date. The couple looked scandalized, even as they walked away, and the man shifted nervously, tugging on his collar.

"I do nothing!" he said, his accent thick. "I do nothing! Nothing!"

"Really." Lyra folded her arms, frowning. "I find that kind of hard to believe."

"It truth! It truth! I do nothing!"

"Uh-huh." Lyra gestured to the railing of the bridge and added, "Why don't you take a seat and tell me about all the "nothing" you did?"

The man hopped up onto the railing, still fiddling with his collar. "I do nothing," he muttered again. "No generator part. Nope. Not me. Never."

"But you just brought up the part when I didn't even say anything about it," Lyra pointed out, and the man's eyes widened. Lyra sighed. "Come on, you had to have noticed that I didn't say anything about it. You've basically already confessed."

"Have not! I Team Rocket! I never confess!" The man proudly thumped the large red R on his chest, and Lyra rolled her eyes. "My boss tell me no confess!"

"You know Team Rocket has been disbanded, right?"

"Huh?"

"Team Rocket. Disbanded. You know . . ." Lyra twirled one hand in the air, searching for the right word. "Bye-bye."

"No!" The man gasped, and then put his head in his hands. "No, no!"

"Yes, yes," Lyra answered. She felt like the chlorine – when combined with the person before her – was starting to give her a headache. "Look," she said. "Why don't you just tell me where the generator part is? Then I can get it and return it and this can all be over with."

"No, no," the man continued to murmur, shaking his head. "I sorry. I sorry. I go home now. I go home to my own country now?"

"You can go to your own country," Lyra agreed, "but only after you tell me where the generator part is."

"It by pool," the man answered, hopping down off the railing. "The machine part, my boss say, 'steal the machine part! We take over Kanto!' and I say, 'okay!' and so I steal the machine part and I put it by pool. It by pool."

"Right. Okay." Lyra reached up, and patted the man on the arm. "You can, um, go back to your own country now."

"Okay! Me go! Bye-bye!" The man turned and bolted, practically sprinting back to Cerulean City. Lyra watched him go, yet then shook her head and followed after, heading back to the Cerulean Gym.

With any luck, her little search and rescue mission would be over soon.

* * *

**073. Firin' Lasers**

Just as the Rocket grunt had told her, Lyra found the part in the Gym, and promptly took it back to the Power Plant to retrieve it. Short of clearing her name, however, the piece only seemed to serve as a confession of the crime, and Lyra had to pick up Pantalaimon and dive quickly out of the way as a beam of light smashed into the wall behind her.

"Thief!" he shouted. "Scoundrel! Vagrant!"

"I'm _not_!" Lyra insisted shrilly. "I just got the part back, like you asked!"

"Then how did you find it so fast?" he demanded loudly, firing another Charge Beam at her. Lyra ducked.

"A stupid Team Rocket grunt stole it! He told me where it was!"

The large man stopped short, and Lyra cautiously looked out from around the large barrel she'd ducked behind. "Really?" he asked, and Lyra nodded.

"Yes!"

"Oh." The man looked down at the Charge Beam he held in his hands, and then reached one hand out. "Give me the part, then, so I can fix my generator."

Slowly, because she didn't want to be hit by a surprise Charge Beam, Lyra inched out from around the barrel, holding the part out as a peace offering. The man took it, and after inspecting it for a few moments, grinned. All of the tension seemed to ease out of his large shoulders, and Lyra felt herself relax as a result.

"Hey, this really is it. Thanks, kid! Now I can fix my generator."

"Yeah . . . no problem," Lyra replied, letting out a tense breath. Pantalaimon collapsed on the floor, letting out a little whine as he did so. Lyra looked down at him, almost wishing that she could collapse beside him.

Sometimes, doing good deeds was far more stressful than putting up with the bad ones.

* * *

**074. Something in the Air Tonight**

Between interrogating Rocket grunts and having lasers fired at her for trying to return a machine part, Lyra felt wiped. She dragged her feet as she walked through Cerulean City, concentrating solely on getting to the Pokèmon Center to get some rest. _If I can just get there, then I can go to sleep,_ she thought. _Sleep sounds so nice right now. Come on, sleep._

But while Lyra was only looking forward, her eyes on the ground ahead of her so she didn't trip, Pantalaimon was a little more alert, instead choosing to look around and take in their surroundings. It was for this reason that Pantalaimon caught sight of something that made him stop, standing up on his hind legs to get a better look. Lyra paused as well, and then walked back to him, confusion flitting across her face.

"Pan, what is it?" Lyra asked, but she was already following his line of sight, looking toward the bridge. What she saw made her own eyes widen, her fatigue melting away in favor of surprise. "Oh . . ."

Leaning against the railing was a boy with a dark jacket and vivid red hair, dark gray eyes trained on the water. Will.

Lyra didn't know what made her do it. She was exhausted, wasn't she? And he was her rival, and he probably preferred to be alone, anyway. Regardless, Lyra found herself walking toward him on the bridge, walking slowly enough so that he didn't notice her at first. She was practically right next to him when he did look up at her, and a cold expression quickly covered the surprise on his face.

"Oh. It's you." Will pushed off the railing, and started to walk off. "I'll leave, then."

"No! Wait!" Lyra ran forward, and - without really thinking - reached up and grabbed his hand. Will froze, and she could see the tension in his shoulders, so she quickly released his hand. "Please," she tried, in a calmer voice. "You don't have to leave. I . . . I don't mind if you stay."

Will didn't look at her, and at first he merely remained there, as if he was unsure of what to do. Finally, he scoffed, and turned back to lean against the railing again. "Fine," he muttered. "If it'll make you happy."

"It will," Lyra said, and she found that it _did_. It was strange, because she really shouldn't have been so eager for him to stay - since when was being around him ever a very happy experience? - but she was, if the flipping sensation in her stomach was anything to go by. "It does." She leaned against the railing next to him, looking out at the water, standing so near him now that their shoulders were almost touching.

"Hmph," he grunted, scowling at the water now. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence following his grunt. There was no one else out on the bridge, for most of Cerulean had gone to sleep hours ago, and Pantalaimon was quietly curled up by Lyra's feet, seeming to realize that causing trouble would only result in him getting returned to his Pokèball. Finally, Lyra reached up and started to twirl one of her pigtails around her finger, and after shooting him a few furtive glances, Lyra asked:

"So, Will . . . What were you doing out here?"

"Just thinking," Will answered shortly. Lyra nodded once, and then cautiously asked:

"About what? If you don't mind telling me, anyway."

Will looked askance at her, and Lyra caught his eye, looking solidly back. Finally, he looked away again, out at the water. "Everything," he said quietly. "My life, my goals, my past, my future . . . Everything."

"That's a lot to think about."

Will snorted. "It's a lot of necessary stuff to think about. I don't even know where I'm going, or what I'm doing anymore. I need to think about this - about all of it - if I want to survive. And . . ."

"And what?"

Will looked away from her, looking over in the other direction. "Nothing."

"No, tell me." Lyra looked properly at Will, and when he didn't speak, continued. "If you're going to tell me all of that, then you might as well just tell me the rest of it. What's the worst that could happen?"

"You can't even begin to comprehend." Lyra continued to stare at him for a few moments before he sighed, his fingers tightening on the rail of the bridge so that his knuckles turned almost white. "I don't know, okay? I don't know _anything_ anymore. I don't know what I'm doing, or how I'm doing it . . . and I don't know what I'm going to do with . . ."

"With?" Lyra prompted, and finally, Will turned to face her fully.

"You," he said, and Lyra's eyes widened, both at what he said and at the intensity in his eyes and voice. "You just make the problem worse," he continued. "Every time I think I have things figured out, you come and ruin _everything_. Only, it's not so much that you're _ruining_ it as it is that you're just _disrupting_ it. You disrupt _everything_, and I . . . I really don't know what to do about it."

". . . Oh." Lyra didn't really know what to say to him - what was there to say? Should she apologize for apparently wrecking his life so thoroughly? Should she just leave? Will continued to stare at her, the intensity in his gray eyes not fading (but then again, it never did), and Lyra shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, trying to look anywhere but his face. "I . . . I'm -"

"Don't," he interrupted her, turning away to look over the water again. "Don't apologize."

That ruined that option. Lyra nodded mutely, turning back to look at the water with him. Will had said a lot - a lot for _him_, anyway - but then again, he'd also said nothing at all. Risking another glance, Lyra saw that he was glowering at the water, still looking upset - upset, and almost sort of . . . hurt. However much he said he blamed her, Lyra felt like there was more going on. She didn't know whether it was just her desire to be free of blame or not, but all the same, she felt like there was a lot more going on than just her intrusion on Will's life and affairs. Therefore, even though she knew that she was risking him exploding on her, Lyra moved a little closer so that their arms touched, and he snapped his attention back to her.

"Will," she tried, carefully, "I know I'm probably the last person you want to listen to, but . . . maybe not everything is ruined. I know you're confused now, and I understand - really, I do, because I'm confused a lot of the time, too. I just go from place to place, and even though I try to get Gym Badges, I don't really know what I'm going to do with my life after I get them all. I guess I'll continue traveling, but I don't really know, and it's confusing and honestly kind of scary sometimes. But . . . All you can do is try your best, you know? Just live and try and everything will probably work out."

Will turned to face her again, his eyes boring into her as if he was searching for something. "How?" he demanded. "How do you make it sound and look so easy?"

"I-"

"This whole time - this entire time I've known you, you've never seemed to have any problems. You've gone up against Team Rocket, you've fought _me_, and you seem to do it so effortlessly. It all just comes naturally to you." Will shook his head. "I can't win. No matter how many times I battle you, I never win. And to be honest, I don't _want_ to battle you anymore, and not just because I always lose."

"Then don't," Lyra said, and she reached out to take his hands for one moment before she thought better of it. "Will, I don't want to battle you, either. I . . ." Her heart was beating fast, so fast it almost made her feel dizzy, and she swallowed to try and keep her composure. "I . . . I like you, Will."

Shock - true shock - flashed through Will's eyes and across his face, and while it normally would have been quickly replaced by a frown or a glare, it wasn't. It remained there, bright as a sunny sky, and Lyra wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She'd almost think that he'd never heard anyone say that to him before, but that wasn't possible, was it? Surely other people had liked him before she came along . . .

"I . . . Damn it, Lyra . . ." he muttered, and even though he'd sworn before saying her name, Lyra felt her heart skip a beat at the way her name sounded when he said it. "I just . . . I just don't know . . ." He closed his eyes, scrunching them together almost as if he was in pain, and without thinking about how he would react or what she was doing, Lyra pushed herself forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt him stiffen in her embrace, but she barely felt it; all she could really think about was that she could no longer smell the chlorine or the water from beneath the bridge, but only a strangely appealing mix of soap and cinnamon.

"It's okay," she whispered, holding him close. "You don't have to know right now, Will. Nobody really does, I don't think. But you don't have to be scared, either. I promise, everything will work out okay. You're a good trainer, Will. You're strong. And . . . And you're not alone."

For a few heartbeats they merely stood there, Lyra hugging Will with Will's arms by his sides. Then, slowly, he reached up and put one hand against her back. It wasn't a full hug - it was barely even a hug - but Lyra knew that it was probably the closest she would get. Will still felt very tense in her arms, and she almost thought she could feel him shaking. Reluctantly, Lyra pulled away, clasping her hands in front of her instead as she stood before him. It was hard to tell in the dark, but Will's cheeks looked darker than they normally did - almost the shade of his hair.

"You . . . You really think . . ." Will stumbled over his words, and scowled as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "You think I'm strong? Even though I always lose?"

"Yes," Lyra told him honestly. "Will, it's not about winning or losing. It's just about living, and trying your best. You're strong in so many ways, Will - many ways that I'll never be strong in."

"I . . . I see." Will turned away from her again, looking out at the water, his expression unreadable. Lyra continued to stand there for a few moments, feeling awkward, and even Pantalaimon stood up, looking back at Cerulean City with something akin to longing. Glancing down at him once and then glancing at Will, Lyra cleared her throat.

"Well, um . . . I could . . . I could just leave, now, if -"

"No." Will turned sharply to look at her, and his hand flashed out, fingers just barely brushing her wrist before he pulled his hand away again. "Stay." He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he finally added - so quietly that she barely heard it, and might have even imagined it - "Please."

"O - Okay." Heart hammering and breath short for reasons she didn't even fully understand, Lyra resumed her place beside him on the bridge, their shoulders almost touching, both of them staring out at the water in silence.

* * *

**075. A Chat With Old Contacts**

"Sabrina?"

"Hello, Morty." Sabrina's voice was as monotone as ever, even over the phone. Morty could almost imagine Sabrina's expression, completely devoid of any emotion, her dark eyes all-knowing. Morty smiled wryly, sighing as he dropped into his chair.

"You called at the exact time that I wasn't doing anything. But I guess you knew that, didn't you?"

"Of course," Sabrina answered. "And you would have known that I was going to call if -"

"No," Morty cut her off, his smile dropping off his face. He heard her sigh.

"I knew you were going to say that."

"You should. I'm not psychic, Sabrina."

"You have the gift, Morty."

"No. Now, is there any other reason you called?"

"Yes," Sabrina answered, and her tone became almost formal in nature again. "I battled a trainer from Johto today - a trainer by the name of Lyra Hart."

"Oh, really? I heard that she was in Kanto." He'd heard, of course, from Eusine, who'd called to tell Morty all about running into Suicune in the Vermillion City port and about seeing Lyra there. When Morty had questioned Eusine about his encounter with Lyra, Eusine had been particularly cagey, and Morty did not want to think about what that meant. "I'm guessing she won?"

"You shouldn't need to guess."

"Sabrina-"

"Yes. She won."

"Well, that's good. I mean, it isn't good for you, per se, but . . ."

"That wasn't the only reason why I was calling. Well, the reason relates to that, but that isn't it," Sabrina continued. "Morty, I'm calling because I wish to deliver a warning."

"A warning?" Morty's brow furrowed, and he sat up a little straighter.

"Yes, a warning. Lyra Hart is inexplicably tied to a Legendary Pokèmon from Ecruteak City - Suicune, to be exact." Morty wanted to groan. "Not only that, but a friend of hers - Ethan - will soon be drawn to Ecruteak City, possibly because of Ho-Oh."

Sabrina's words very nearly made Morty drop the phone. Instead, he merely held it tighter, ignoring the way it felt like a Haunter had reached through his chest and was strangling his heart. "Are you . . . Are you sure?" he asked. To his shock, Sabrina hesitated.

"Not precisely, in regards to Ho-Oh. I know that the mythical bird will descend soon. I cannot say why or when. However, about Suicune, I am very certain. I should think that current evidence already proves that to be the case."

"Yeah . . ." Morty admitted, nodding as he swallowed, trying to calm himself down. "Yeah, it does."

"And, on that note, I must deliver the true warning."

"Which would be?"

"Should Eusine do what I believe he is thinking of, he will end up arrested." Morty almost wanted to laugh. Sabrina sounded grave, but the funny (and yet sad) part was, Morty didn't doubt her words. "I suggest you stop him before that happens."

"No problem," Morty said. "Thanks, Sabrina." Morty could have been imagining it (and probably was), but he almost thought he heard a smile in her voice when she replied.

"You are most welcome, Morty."

* * *

_**References and things borrowed (but nothing blue): **_

"I'mma firin' my charge beam" was a reference to The Lazer Collection over on YouTube.


	9. Set Nine

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Nine**

**

* * *

**

**076. The Truth Is**

He was . . . awkward, to say the least.

Misty looked over at the boy next to her again, frowning as she studied him. In terms of looks, he wasn't too bad. Brown eyes - ordinary brown, no hints of any other colors, red or otherwise - and black hair. His hair was neat. When Misty had first met him, it had been a bit windswept, but now it was pressed tightly to his head, as if he'd used an entire tub of hair gel. The thought was slightly repulsive to Misty. How much product did his hair need, anyway?

He seemed skittish, too - that was what made him so awkward. He kept shifting from foot to foot, putting his hands in his pockets before pulling them out, before putting them back in again. He'd barely said two words since they'd arrived at the cape, but the silence wasn't at all comfortable. Misty wanted to roll her eyes. What was she even doing here? The entire "date" was a waste of time.

The boy - what was his name, again? Ben? Jerry? - cleared his throat, inching closer to her. Misty raised an eyebrow. "Uh . . . So," he said, nodding once as if he'd made a profound point. When Misty didn't answer him, he added, "We're, uh . . . We're here."

"Yep," Misty agreed, nodding as well. "We're here." More awkward silence passed before the boy inched a bit closer, jerking out his hand as if he wanted to take hers. Misty's blue-green eyes flashed down to his hand before she pulled her own back, taking a step away. He frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, no." Misty forced a smile, clasping her hands behind her back. Her smile faded when she saw his eyes linger on her chest before looking back up to her face.

"Well, then why are you moving away?"

"Huh? I'm not."

"You are." The boy gestured the space between them, which Misty suddenly realized how grown. She forced another laugh, folding her arms across her chest.

"Isn't it nice out here, by the water? I think it looks nice."

"Uh-huh. Look, Misty . . ." The boy moved closer again, and Misty held her ground, despite the fact that she wanted to widen the distance between them again. "I thought this was a date spot. That we were on a date."

"This is, and we are," Misty said, fighting to keep her voice pleasant. He took another step closer to her.

"Then why won't you hold my hand?" he asked, dropping his voice to what he probably thought was a husky whisper. Misty thought he sounded like an idiot. "Why won't you let me touch you? Misty, I . . . I want . . ." He lifted his hand, reaching out to brush her red hair behind her ear. Misty pulled back, and just as she did so, he froze, suddenly looking away from her.

"What?" Misty asked. "What is it?" Glancing to the right, Misty followed his gaze to a girl with brown pigtails and wide eyes, a Furret standing by her feet. Misty's date paled, stuttered, "Th - This isn't what it looks like!" before he took off running, bolting back to Cerulean.

"Wait!" Misty shouted, calling in vain after him. Not that she _wanted_ him to put his hands all over her, but she didn't want to be bailed on, either. Her date, unfortunately, didn't look back, and Misty threw up her hands, rounding on the girl. "What the hell did you think you were doing? Couldn't you see that we were on a date?"

"Um, yeah, I just-"

"Why would you go and interrupt us like that? Or did you think you'd get your rocks off by staring?" Misty's own question made her cheeks flame, and her glare intensified. "Not that anything was going to happen, but I bet you wanted it to, huh? And that's why you were staring?"

"No!" The girl shook her head fiercely. "I wasn't staring! I mean, I didn't mean to stare! Pan just thought he saw something and-"

"Whatever! Listen up, you pest, and listen good: I'm Misty, the leader of the Cerulean City Gym, and if you come through my doors, you can bet that I'll make you pay for what you've done!"

The girl didn't even answer Misty as Misty shoved past her, heading down the stairs, away from the cliff by the water. The problem was, by the time Misty reached the bottom of the stairs, she wasn't even mad at the girl anymore, if she'd ever _really_ been mad at her. The girl was a convenient scapegoat, someone who it was easy to release her temper on, but she hadn't really done anything wrong. It wasn't the girl's fault that Misty's date that night was such a failure, just as it wasn't her fault that all of Misty's dates from the past three years were failures. The truth was, Misty was glad that her date had run off. The truth was, Misty didn't want that boy, or any of the others.

As Misty reentered Cerulean City, she stopped, taking a deep breath of the water-touched air. She tilted her head back, eyes closed, and then opened her eyes to stare up at the star-strewn sky.

_Where are you?_

* * *

**077. Thoroughly Drenched**

By the time Lyra exited the Cerulean City Gym, her shoes were so full of water that they made a _squelch_ sound every time she took a step and her pigtails were plastered down against her shoulders. When she pulled off her hat and turned it upside down, a good amount of water fell out of it, and when she wrung it out, even more splattered down onto the ground. Water dripped from practically every part of her body, and her clothes were practically glued to her body because of the sheer amount of water weighing them down. There was a Cascade Badge in her badge case, but Lyra almost thought that the number of times she'd been knocked into the pool made the badge itself not worth it.

"Despite the battle we had, I almost feel like I earned this badge by not drowning rather than winning a match," Lyra grumbled, jamming her hat back onto her head. Beads of water ran down from the hat over her face, and she frowned. "I definitely won that badge just for not drowning."

* * *

**078. Not Quite Green**

After flipping a coin to decide where to go next, Lyra found herself backtracking through Saffron City in order to get to Celadon, a city that - while it wasn't quite as big as Saffron - was still a thriving metropolis in its own right. The strange thing was, everyone in Celadon seemed to convinced that they were living in an eco-friendly city, that Celadon was the cleanest place in Kanto next to Pallet Town, which - according to the citizens of Celadon - was such a backwoods town that it barely deserved to be counted as part of Kanto. But the more Lyra explored Celadon City, the more she found herself disagreeing.

"The water is filled with Grimer and Muk," she remarked, frowning, "and there are Koffing lurking around in the alleyways. And look at all the trash on the ground." Pantalaimon, as if he thought he was actually supposed to examine the trash, poked at it with one of his paws. "Even the plants look like they're suffering. This place doesn't exactly seem like the epitome of clean living to me. Not that that's bad, just that everyone's misrepresenting their city just a little bit. Seriously, even Cerulean had fresher air than this."

As if to punctuate her words, Pantalaimon coughed a bit before picking up a half-eaten corn dog off the ground.

* * *

**079. "Strong Trainers"**

Contrary to the rest of the city, the area leading to the Celadon Gym actually had grass and trees, including a small one that Lyra had Scoresby cut down before she could actually make her way back to the large building. There were flowers growing right in front of the Gym, and Lyra thought they were pretty - even the ones that were currently being trodden on by an old man who was leering in one of the windows, giggling at whatever he saw. Lyra was going to ignore him, but as she approached the doors he turned and spotted her, his cheeks turning just a little bit rosier.

"Heheh . . . I love this Gym!" he said, and Lyra nodded slowly, unsure of what to say in response. "It's full of attractive girls!"

If Lyra hadn't known what to say before, she was speechless now. "Um . . . _What_?"

"Uh, I mean," the old man backtracked, coughing. "It's full of, erm . . . strong trainers."

"Strong trainers." Lyra looked down at Pantalaimon, who was chewing on the end of the stick from the corn dog he'd eaten earlier (Lyra had told him to drop it, but in true Pantalaimon fashion he'd kept it regardless, and had grown miffed at her for trying to take it away). "Um . . . Right."

"Very strong trainers!" The old man insisted, seeming to take her half-hearted response as agreement. "Very strong trainers with . . . with strong curves and . . . strong chests . . ." He looked at Lyra, as if appraising her, and then decided, "You wouldn't know much about that."

Lyra felt her cheeks flame and she turned quickly, putting her head down. "I'm going to go challenge Erika now!" she said loudly, heading toward the doors. As she entered, she heard the old man say dreamily:

"Mmm, Erika . . . Now, _she's_ very strong . . . Very strong body, indeed, heheheh . . ."

* * *

**080. Sleepy Relations**

Erika was at the very back of the Gym, sitting on a patch of grass surrounded by flowers. Or, well, "sitting" was a slightly inaccurate description; in truth, she was lounging, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling gently with her breathing.

"Oh, it looks like she's sleeping," Lyra remarked softly, hesitating before moving forward. "Maybe I should come back later."

"Nah," one of the junior trainers said, walking forward. "Erika sleeps a lot. It's like she's narcoleptic or something. But she's a light sleeper, so it's okay. Hey, Erika!" Lyra's eyes widened as the junior trainer shouted Erika's name. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off another Kanto Gym Leader. "You have a challenger!"

Erika stirred slowly instead of jumping up, and after she blinked her eyes open, it took her a moment or two before she sat up, yawning and rubbing at one of her eyes. "Oh . . . ? Oh, it looks like I do." She smiled. "I'm sorry, it appears I must have dozed off. But it's so warm, and the flowers are so nice . . . aren't they? Yes, they are . . ."

"Yeah, they're nice." Lyra allowed Erika one moment of enjoying the flowers before saying, "Well, my name's Lyra Hart, and I-"

"Lyra?" Erika interrupted, and her smile grew a bit more. "Ah, yes. My cousins said something about you."

"Cousins?" Lyra blinked, surprised, and Erika nodded, reaching into the collar of her kimono to pull out a Pokèball on a small golden chain.

"Yes. My cousins." Pressing the center button on the Pokèball, a Leafeon materialized between Lyra and Erika, and Lyra felt the proverbial lightbulb flicker to life in her mind.

"Are you related to the Kimono Girls in Ecruteak City?"

"Yes." Erika nodded as the Leafeon padded over to curl up by her side. "They're my cousins, as I said. When I was younger, my parents considered having me move to Ecruteak City to live at the dance studio, but I decided that I preferred flower arrangement. It's so nice, and so lovely. The flowers bring me peace, and serenity . . . and, in the end, I have been able to become a Gym Leader, maintaining this Gym as per the League rules . . ."

Erika's voice was very dreamy, as if she was still asleep, and although Lyra was curious to hear more about Erika's relationship to the Kimono Girls, she figured that she had to ask for her battle quickly, lest Erika allow herself to doze off again. "Well," she said, "that's really very interesting and all, but if it's not too much trouble, I'd like a battle." Erika looked back over at Lyra, who smiled as a bit of a peace offering. "Please?"

"Of course." Erika glanced to her Leafeon, and upon seeing that the Pokèmon had fallen asleep, pulled another Pokèball from the pouch nearby her. When she looked back up at Lyra, her eyes were suddenly much more sharp and alert, taking Lyra slightly off-guard. "I am not very fond of battling," she admitted, "but I will do my best as Gym Leader of Celadon City in a battle with you."

* * *

**081. Eating Contest**

People used to say that Ethan could eat a lot. In fact, his father used to joke that Ethan had a hollow leg that he used to store food, and that was how he managed to pack it all away. Ethan always laughed such jokes off, even though he knew it was true; he _could_ and _did_ eat a lot.

He had nothing on the small pink-haired girl in the Celadon City diner.

Maylene, as she'd said her name was, had two piles of bowls stacked to either side of her, and was still eating. Ethan wasn't participating in the contest, though he paid the entry fee just so that he could get a bite to eat. He was hungry, after all, and he'd heard that they had good burgers. But Maylene had nothing on him, and she didn't even seem to notice that other people were staring at her as she cleared off what looked to be her twenty-fifth bowl.

"More, please!" she happily requested, adding her bowl to the towering stack. Across from Ethan, a hiker groaned and slumped onto the counter, apparently giving up. The waiter of the diner shook his head in awe.

"Are you real?" he asked, and Maylene shrugged.

"I think so," she said, "but sometimes I wonder, because people seem to ask me that a lot. First when I became Gym Leader, and now since I'm participating in an eating contest . . ."

"You're a Gym Leader?" Ethan asked before he could help himself. Maylene nodded, looking over at him with a huge grin.

"Yep, from Sinnoh! Except I'm not really sure why they made me a Gym Leader, they just did." The waiter slid a new bowl in front of Maylene, and she positively beamed. "Oh, food's here! Sorry, stranger, but I have to eat now, talk later!" With that, Maylene began digging into her bowl with vigor, and Ethan looked down at his mostly eaten hamburger, feeling a bit bad for thinking about not finishing it before.

_If she can eat so much, then I can definitely finish this burger,_ he thought, picking it up again. _It'd be kind of shameful not to._

* * *

**082. Breaking the Fourth Wall Into Itty Bitty Pieces**

Stepping off the elevator of the Celadon Mansion, Lyra caught sight of Ethan and Mari a few feet away, looking somewhat awkward, and she grinned. "Hey, Ethan!" she called, waving to him. He turned, smiling a bit when he saw her, but still looking somewhat awkward. "I got your call. What's up?"

"Nothing really," he answered, giving her a brief hug as she neared. "Except, well . . . they told me to call you."

"Who did?" Lyra asked, but before Ethan could answer, one of the bespectacled men nearby answered for him.

"We did. We, as in Game Freak. We just wanted to catch up, see how things were going and all that." He checked his watch, and then turned to some of the other smartly clad men in the room. "Hey, where's Will? He's supposed to be here, too. Has anyone gotten a hold of Will yet?"

Lyra's eyes widened, and she turned to Ethan, leaning toward him to whisper, "Why do they want to see us? And what do they want with Will?"

"I have no idea," Ethan whispered back. "They said something about catching up, but I don't remember any of these guys. They just yanked me in off the streets."

"We don't have his number," one of the other men answered. "Ask Lyra, she should have it."

"I should?" Lyra asked, frowning. "I didn't even know Will had a cell phone." Now that she did know, she couldn't help but wonder how long he'd had it, and why he hadn't offered to swap numbers with her before . . .

The men in the room - Game Freak, as they called themselves - seemed to freeze, however, and they all exchanged looks. "_Does_ he have a Pokègear?" one asked, and they turned to look at one man standing near the back, who raised his hands defensively.

"Hey, no one ever told me to program one for him! I didn't know if I was supposed to or not!"

"So _did_ you?" One of the others asked, and the one in the back frowned uncertainly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"I, ah . . . I don't remember. Maybe I did?"

"What are you talking about?" Lyra asked, and Ethan nodded, frowning beside her.

"Yeah, isn't programming something you do for computers and games and stuff?"

The Game Freak workers exchanged looks again, and then sighed.

"Well, we guess you wouldn't remember," the glasses-wearer said, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "Your interviews were quite long ago, and unlike us, you never really did exist on The Outside . . ."

"The Outside? You mean outside this building?" Lyra asked, raising her eyebrows. "Because, uh, hate to break it to you, but . . ."

But the Game Freak members merely laughed, seeming to find something _very_ humorous in what Lyra said. "Oh, if only you knew," one said. "And we would tell you, if Will would get here, but we can't call him because _someone_ didn't see fit to give him a Pokègear . . ."

"Hey," the man in the back said defensively, "no one told me to give him one, okay? Besides, if I recall correctly, _someone_ didn't _write_ him having one into the _script_!"

"Don't blame this on me, pal!" the glasses-wearing man said, turning to glare at the man in the back. "I put a lot of work into that script, and giving characters items and programming that into the data is _your_ job!"

"I program what I'm told to program, and what I was told to program was to program a Pokègear for _Juggler Irwin_ instead, because _obviously_ giving _him_ a phone was _so important_-"

"Hey, don't insult Juggler Irwin, I gave him some really creative lines!"

"If by _creative_ you mean _creepy_-"

"I worked with what I had! If you want to blame someone, blame Mr. Character Designer over there! And while you're at it, you might want to ask him what the hell he was thinking when he designed Sabrina for this go-around-"

"HEY," the apparent character designer yelled, thumping his fist upon his desk. "She looks damn hot in that outfit, okay? Don't start ragging on me just because you preferred her in that one-piece that didn't reveal a single damn thing-"

From there, a fight broke out between all of the Game Freak members in the room, and Lyra and Ethan exchanged looks, confused and slightly creeped out.

"Maybe it would be best if we just left," Ethan said, reaching down to take Lyra's hand and pull her toward the elevator.

"Yeah," Lyra agreed, turning back one last time to watch as the "programmer" threw a cup at the "writer's" head. "I was just thinking the same thing."

* * *

**083. Anything Your Dad Can Do Mine Can Do Better**

After escaping from the Game Freak offices, Lyra and Ethan decided to do a bit of shopping, figuring that it could be relaxing before they decided to head for Cycling Road. But when they reached the fourth floor, he sounds of an argument reached their ears, and - because their nosy natures wouldn't permit them to do anything else - they wandered over to see what the commotion was, lurking by some shelves so that they wouldn't be seen.

"Look, Janine, I don't care about what you think. My father is honorable, fighting the good fight right out in the open, instead of lurking in the shadows to cut throats like a _ninja_-"

"Oh, _puh-lease_, Scowlybangs, you're just jealous because your dad couldn't shadow-crawl his way out of a pitch-dark room." The short girl next to Falkner folded her arms, smirking smugly up at him. Ethan looked over to Lyra, mouthing _'Scowlybangs?'_ and Lyra shrugged. "You talk about 'honor,' but honor is what ninjas are all about!"

"Right, because it's _so_ honorable to slit throats and skulk in the shadows-"

"It's more honorable than parading around like you're better than everyone else!"

"My father doesn't _parade around_-"

"Right, because your father doesn't actually do anything, because he's not as cool and awesome as my dad, so he's not in an awesome position like the Elite Four!"

"I-" Falkner froze suddenly, and looked over toward the shelves that Ethan and Lyra were looking around, causing them both to jump. "Hey," he said, waving them over. "Get over here for a second. If you're going to eavesdrop, then the least you can do is make yourselves useful."

"Rude as ever, aren't you, Scowlybangs?" The girl - Janine - asked him, clicking her tongue. Ethan and Lyra walked over regardless, feeling like they owed it to Falkner since they _were_ eavesdropping, but Janine shook her head. "You're wasting your time, Scowlybangs. They're totally going to agree with me since my dad is obviously totally way more awesome than yours."

"We'll see," Falkner retorted, his serious expression never leaving. The look he leveled at Ethan and Lyra was severe, and even Mari darted behind Ethan's legs, not wanting to look at Falkner directly. It was strange, Lyra thought, because even though he was completely serious during their entire Gym battle, Lyra didn't remember him looking nearly as fierce then. "Who's father is cooler," Falkner demanded, "Janine's or mine?"

"Um . . ." Lyra looked between Falkner and Janine before looking at Ethan, finding that he looked just as bewildered as she felt. "That's, um . . ."

"If it helps," Janine piped up brightly, "My ultra super special awesomely cool dad is Koga, of the Elite Four!" Janine struck a pose, two fingers held vertically in front of her mouth, her other hand out behind her for balance. Falkner rolled his eyes. "Scowlybangs' dad just does some boring work against criminals or whatever."

"He's a special ops agent," Falkner snapped, and this time Janine rolled her eyes, laughing.

"Whatever. He's totally not as cool as my dad, though. So!" Janine clapped her hands together, looking expectantly at Ethan and Lyra. "Who wins, me or Scowlybangs?"

"Um . . ." Lyra looked from Janine to Falkner and back again, and - deciding that Falkner's glare made him the bigger threat - decided, "Scowly-uh, I mean, I think Falkner's father is the cooler one."

"Yeah, I'll agree to that," Ethan said fervently, nodding. Falkner's severe expression turned into the smallest quirking of his lips, and Janine's expression fell into a full on pout.

"What? Ugh, no fair! Scowlybangs, you totally scared them off with your perma-scowl!" Janine aimed a kick at Falkner's shins, but he deftly moved out of the way, and then she turned to look at Ethan and Lyra again. "You didn't have to be afraid," she muttered. "Scowlybangs is all scowl and no snap. He wouldn't have done anything to you."

"They made their decision fair and square, Janine," Falkner replied, moving to examine some other items along the shelves. "Don't act like a child and sulk."

"Hmph. You're just saying that 'cause you won, Scowlybangs." Before Falkner could reply Janine ran toward him, pouncing onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "But fine, you win for now. For _now_. But I bet that if I did a survey all over Kanto, you'd totally lose and I'd totally win. And I'll do it, too! You just watch!"

"Do whatever you want. Just get off me," Falkner grumbled. Janine grinned - her emotions seemed to change like quicksilver - and, to the shock of Ethan and Lyra, placed a kiss on his cheek before hopping off.

"Okay, but I'll be back to bug you later! Bye, Scowlybangs!" With that, Janine turned and darted around the shelves, and by the time Ethan and Lyra turned to look for her, she had already disappeared.

* * *

**084. Race**

When they were younger, Ethan and Lyra used to race all the time.

Well, to be more accurate, they used to _compete_ all the time, whether it was in mud wrestling, Mario Kart, or - when they were _really_ small - tricycle races. Now that they were Pokèmon trainers, it was no different, but instead of making their Pokèmon battle each other, Ethan and Lyra still preferred to keep the competition purely between them. So then they realized that they were both in Celadon City at the same time, and realized that Cycling Road was nearby, they couldn't resist. They _had_ to race.

"First one to the bottom wins," Ethan said, mounting his bike at the very top. His golden-brown eyes were focused intently on the slope ahead of them, and Lyra nodded, gripping her handlebars tightly.

"And the loser has to do anything the winner says for one full day," she added. "No complaining, and no backing out."

"Definitely. No using Pokèmon to aid your bike or slow down the bike of your opponent."

"No swerving to try and make your opponent crash."

"No trying to use distractions or cheating methods of any kind, period, including pretending that you're sick to make your opponent slow down before speeding past them."

"And no do-overs, or best out of three." Lyra looked over at Ethan, and he met her gaze steadily. "Ready?"

"Steady." Ethan looked back at Cycling Road, and Lyra did the same. Together, they shouted:

"GO!"

* * *

**085. Nothing To Worry About**

Eusine sighed, leaning back on the grass, his cell phone to his ear. He was relaxing in Fuchsia City, reclining by one of the small ponds, and Morty had once again called him to rattle on about nothing Eusine cared to hear about.

"Morty," Eusine interrupted, when Morty had paused to take a breath, "for the last time, _relax_. There's no need to get all worked up."

_"Are you sure?"_ Morty demanded, and Eusine rolled his eyes. _"Because Sabrina seemed to foresee a future in which you did something to get yourself arrested."_

"And we all know how accurate Sabrina's futures tend to be," Eusine retorted.

_"Actually, they're usually pretty accurate."_

"Sometimes they are, but sometimes Sabrina can't predict what she'll have for breakfast the next morning and you know it. She's got nothing on you, Morty."

_"Look, just tell me what you're planning,"_ Morty snapped, his irritation rising in his tone at Eusine's not-so-subtle hinting of his gift. Eusine couldn't say that he was surprised, but he still didn't appreciate Morty's attitude very much.

"I'm not planning anything!" Eusine tossed up one hand, letting it flop back onto the grass. He could practically feel Morty's skepticism through the phone, and he sighed again. "Okay, look, I _had_ devised this plan that involved capturing Lyra and using her as bait to lure Suicune, and it _might_ have involved ropes and _maybe_ some Sleep Powder acquired from a Vileplume-"

_"You_ what_?"_ Morty interrupted loudly, and then he groaned. _"Eusine, please tell me you didn't actually do that."_

"Would you let me finish? I can't very well tell you what I've done if you won't let me finish." Morty fell silent, and Eusine continued. "No, I haven't done it. Do you think I'd still be talking to you if I had? I'd be too busy luring Suicune using Lyra to do that."

_"Well, good. Don't do it."_ Eusine opened his mouth to reply, but Morty continued before he could. _"I'm serious, Eusine. You'll end up behind bars faster than a Rapidash can run if you try to pull a stunt like that."_

"I wasn't going to," Eusine muttered, closing his eyes. "I decided that Suicune probably wouldn't find it very honorable of me to use someone else as bait, and anyway, I don't _need_ Lyra. I can become worthy of Suicune in my own right."

_"Good. Keep thinking like that."_ Morty still sounded tense, and Eusine opened his eyes, staring up at the blue sky above and imagining the little Murkrow's feet that were probably growing around Morty's eyes due to all the stress.

"If you really believe me, then why don't you relax, Morty? There's no need to worry. You're going to have gray hair by the time you're twenty-five at this rate."

_"There's too much going on right now to relax. You weren't the only thing Sabrina talked to me about."_ Before Eusine could ask what Morty meant, Morty continued. _"Look, I'm going to meet you in Kanto, okay? Where are you?"_

"Why are you coming to Kanto?" Eusine countered instead. "Don't you have a Gym to run?"

_"Somehow I have a feeling I'll be of better use in Kanto."_

"I don't need to be babysat, Morty."

_"Past actions say otherwise, Eusine. Where are you?"_

"Hm, I think I hear Suicune calling for me," Eusine said, slowly pulling the Pokègear away from his ear. "I think I'd better go. Bye, Morty . . . !"

_"You don't hear Suicune and you know it,"_ Eusine heard Morty say. _"So don't try to-"_ Eusine quickly ended the call, stuffing his Pokègear back into his pocket before settling himself more comfortably on the grass.

Whatever Morty was worried about, Eusine didn't see it as his problem - not at the moment, anyway, when the weather was nice and he had a bit of time to himself to relax. There would be time to chase Suicune later, and there would be time to worry about Morty later; for the moment, no one in the world knew where he was, and Eusine was going to take the time to mellow out and enjoy the moment, for once in his life.

* * *

**Authors' Note: **Falkner would just like it known that no one is to refer to him as "Scowlybangs" aside from Janine (and she only gets away with it because she's been calling him that for years).

Also, the Erika-being-related-to-the-Kimono-Girls is in no way canon, except for my personal head-canon and stories. It hasn't been mentioned by Game Freak ever, though.

And I can't be the only one irritated by the way they censored the pervy old man in front of the Celadon Gym, can I?

Anyway, if you read, please drop a review! Thank you!


	10. Set Ten

Spots of Silver_  
A Pokèmon: SoulSilver Drabble Collection_

**Set Ten**

**

* * *

**

**086. Oh**

"I still feel like you cheated somehow," Lyra complained, sticking her tongue out at Ethan as they walked through Fuchsia City. Ethan grinned.

"Hey, I won fair and square. It's not my fault you can't ride as fast as I can." Mari chirped her agreement at Ethan's feet, and Pantalaimon pulled a face at her.

"Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater," Lyra shot back, and Ethan crossed his arms.

"Say what you want, but you still owe me a vanilla milkshake later. I also want to see a movie."

"Fine." Lyra crossed her arms in an imitation of Ethan, raising her chin defiantly. "But I bet that you drink that milkshake too fast and end up with a brain freeze."

"Pft. Bet whatever you want, it won't happen."

"Will so."

"Will not."

"Will _so_."

"Will _not_."

"Will-"

"Ethan!"

Ethan and Lyra both turned, watching as an unfamiliar man ran up to the pair of them, waving enthusiastically. Lyra glanced at Ethan, but saw that he looked just as puzzled as she felt, and looked back to see the man slowing to a stop in front of them, reaching out to shake Ethan's hand.

"Ethan, I was wondering when you'd turn up! I've heard so much about you from my father!"

"Your father?" Ethan asked, shaking the man's hand a bit awkwardly. The man nodded.

"Yes! Does the name Baoba ring any bells?"

"Baoba? _Oh_!" Ethan's eyes widened in recognition, and he nodded. "Oh, so you're . . . _ooooooh_, okay. But, why are you . . . Oh, wait. Don't tell me you . . . _Ooooh_."

"Oh?" Lyra asked, feeling thoroughly confused by this point. Ethan did have a tendency to go off in his own little world when he had epiphanies, but that typically didn't do a thing but leave her completely in the dark. Ethan turned to look at her, and then his eyes widened again as he seemed to realize something.

"Oh . . . Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh? Ethan, what's going on?"

"Uh . . . That's . . . Oh man." Ethan took his hat off, running a hand through his hair before pulling it back on. "Uh, Lyra, can we take a rain check on the milkshake and movie? I've, uh, got business to take care of. Elsewhere. Yeah." Ethan looked back to the man, raising his eyebrows. "Right?"

"Well, I'd like a moment of your time, if it wouldn't be too much trouble." The man smiled. "The park is still new, so if you could just pop on over . . ."

"Park? Oh. _Oh_. Oh, man . . ." Ethan pulled off his hat to run his hand through his hair again. Lyra sighed.

"Look, I'll just go battle the Gym Leader here, and you can . . . do whatever you need to do. Just call me when you want to take up that rain check, okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." Ethan smiled sheepishly at her, adjusting his hat. "I'll explain everything later too, okay? . . . Probably."

"Right." Lyra sighed, deciding that it was probably best that she didn't push the issue right now. "Just . . . Right."

* * *

**087. Kinda-Sorta-Not-Really-Cheating**

"Invisible walls _and_ clones?" Lyra knew it was childish of her, but she couldn't help but frown as she ran into yet another invisible wall. Sam shook his head at her feet. She supposed she _could_ have just followed him, but that felt like cheating, and the multiple Janines were staring at her in a way that made her feel as if they were judging her. "Why does this gym have to be so difficult?"

"Because," the Janine closest to her answered, but another Janine across the room picked up, each Janine speaking up in turn.

"I-"

"-am-"

"-a-"

"-ninja!" The Janine in the very center of the room finished it off, and Lyra felt her exasperation peak. From the way Sam mewed irritably at her feet, she guessed that he also remembered Koga, and his infuriating ability to answer every question with the same response from some undetermined point of the room. _Guess he passed that onto his daughter,_ Lyra thought grimly. But as she looked at each cheeky grin mirrored back at her, she couldn't help but think of the incident back at the Celadon Department Store, and a sudden idea occurred to her. She supposed it was _kind_ of like cheating, except it wasn't _really_; she was still going to find the real Janine due to her own abilities, it was just that her tactics were just a little bit questionable. _But she's a ninja,_ Lyra reasoned, _so she's not really one to talk._

"Fine," she said, turning away - and smacking straight into another invisible wall. She scowled, and as the Janines around her laughed, she cemented her idea in her mind. "Be a ninja if you want. I just won't battle you. Instead, I think I'll go see _Scowlybangs_ and see if he wants a rematch. I'd rather battle him, anyway."

"Hey!" Lyra didn't see who shouted that word, since her back was turned, but she heard that it definitely came from only one of the Janines - and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw it was the Janine in the dead center of the room. "You can't call him Scowlybangs! Only I can call him Scowlybangs! He's _my_ Scowlybangs, you got that?"

"Oh, so he's _your_ Scowlybangs?" Lyra asked, turning with a grin. Janine faltered, and then her lips formed a definite pout. "Well, okay then," she continued brightly. "How about a battle?"

* * *

**088. Remembered**

As a Legendary Pokèmon, Suicune had lived for many years, and it remembered each of those years clearly. Of course, the years before its rebirth were hazy and indistinct, but as far as Suicune was concerned, those years didn't matter.

Suicune remembered being reborn - remembered the warm glow that was quickly replaced with the chill of the northern wind. It remembered being entrusted with the small Clear Bell around its neck, the one Ho-Oh trusted Suicune to bestow upon one who would be able to battle alongside Suicune as an ally, rather than a trainer, if and when the time came for it.

Suicune remembered racing across the world for hundreds of years, never finding a suitable human, sometimes wondering if there would ever be a suitable human. Suicune remembered seeing Lugia go to sleep under the Whirl Islands, and remembered seeing the Bell Tower built to tower over Ecruteak in a vain hope that Ho-Oh would one day return.

There were billions of things that Suicune remembered - billions that Suicune could recall if it closed its eyes. But in recent times, Suicune remembered two people in particular, and as it stood upon the water next to some windmills that stirred the north wind that Suicune brought with it, Suicune saw both people approaching.

Lyra, the girl who could be trusted with the Clear Bell, if only temporarily, and Eusine, the one who tried so hard, yet was simply not ready.

Suicune remembered each of its encounters with both humans, and understood far more than either human knew. Yet as they approached, Suicune turned and bolted, its paws flying over the water, their petty conversation lost on its ears.

There would only be one more encounter - one more encounter that would decide the fate of the precious bell that Ho-Oh had given Suicune, as well as the fates of the two humans now arguing back by the windmills.

And whatever the outcome, Suicune was positive that it would not forget it.

* * *

**089. The One Not Chosen**

As though he was being chased by a pack of vicious, rabid Houndoom, Eusine ran.

How could he have been so _stupid_, so _blind_? Suicune would appear by water, some place up north. Given that Suicune was in the Kanto region, there was only one place that could be. After all, what city was farthest up north and also by water? Cerulean City. How could he have missed that? How _stupid_ was he, really?

Eusine's lungs burned hotter than the flame atop a Charizard's tail, and his legs felt like they were being weighed down by a pair of Onix, but he didn't care. He forced himself to keep running, sweat sticking his brown hair to his forehead, his lungs heaving past the stitch in his side.

"Eusine!" Morty, having gone to Kanto to track Eusine down, kept shouting in vain behind him. "Eusine, wait! Slow down!"

_No can do,_ Eusine thought. He would have shouted it, but he thought that if he spoke right then, the exertion might make him throw up. _I have to get there. I have to get to Suicune. I have to, I have to, I-_

Several things came into Eusine's line of sight at once.

The first was the hill. Up a pair of stairs that had been carved out of the side of the rock was a flat hill-top overlooking the river that ran around Cerulean and to the ocean. The second was the magnificent, beautiful creature atop the hill. Long purple mane blowing in the wind, with fur more blue than any body of water Eusine had ever laid eyes upon, Suicune stood with a regal head held high and sapphire-like eyes burning. And third was the girl that stood before Suicune, looking apprehensive as she fidgeted, a Furret by her feet.

Lyra. Lyra had beaten him to Suicune, again. And Suicune, for all that it was always flighty before him, was standing perfectly still before Lyra.

"Eusine!" Morty finally caught up, coming to a stop beside Eusine. Eusine hadn't really been aware that he'd stopped running - at first, the only thing he'd been aware of was Suicune's supreme presence before him, and then Lyra's before Suicune - but he was now aware of the pained gasps he was taking as he tried to regain his breath, and of how each stab in his chest was painful for reasons other than sheer exertion. Morty, too, seemed to catch sight of the hill in that moment, for he put one hand on Eusine's shoulder. "Eusine, wait. Don't do anything rash-"

Eusine looked at Morty sharply, and he wasn't sure what Morty saw, but whatever it was made Morty stop talking immediately. Eusine looked back to the hilltop to see that Lyra had noticed their presence, and that she now looked almost afraid. _Afraid?_ Eusine thought scathingly. _She's scared of_ me _when Suicune has . . . When Suicune has chosen_ her_? If she's going to be like that, then she's unworthy. She's unworthy of Suicune's respect!_

"Eusine," Lyra called down, sounding apprehensive. "This is . . . Um . . . Okay, look, I didn't ask for this, okay? I didn't ask for Suicune to come before me, it just did. And if I could change that, I would, but I can't _make_ Suicune do anything! So if you're going to be mad, then be mad, but don't take it out on me, because it's not my fault!"

"Of course it's not your fault, Lyra," Morty said, and once again Eusine found himself staring at Morty, hardly able to believe his ears. Lyra, too, looked to Morty, and when Eusine glanced back, he saw that she looked relieved. "It's no one's fault. It's just Suicune's choice." Morty glanced at Eusine, and then looked away again. "I think you need to battle Suicune now," Morty said. "Battle it and prove yourself worthy."

"Or unworthy," Eusine muttered, and Morty shot him a glare. Eusine found that he didn't care. Instead, he started forward - walking at first, yet then running, taking the steps two at a time.

"Eusine!" Morty called warningly, starting up immediately after him. "I meant what I said before. Don't do anythi-"

"Shut up, Morty," Eusine snapped, and Morty's glare grew fiercer.

"No. If you try anything, so help me, I _will_ stop you. By any means necessary."

"Go ahead and do it then," Eusine shot back. "I don't care. Now," Eusine rounded on Lyra, "I want _you_ to listen to me, and I want you to listen to me _very_ carefully."

Once again the fear was back in Lyra's eyes, but she didn't show it otherwise. Instead, she merely swallowed, and squared her shoulders. "Yes?"

"Suicune is a magnificent creature," Eusine began, and though he could hear his voice shaking, he couldn't stop it. "Suicune is magnificent, amazing, honorable, and worth more than anyone else on this entire planet. You are not fit to clean Suicune's paws. You are worth _nothing_ when compared to Suicune. _Nothing_. Do you understand that? Nothing you ever do will put you even near the same level as Suicune. Nothing."

"Okay," Lyra said, nodding. "I understand-"

"Knowing that," Eusine went on, raising his voice to speak over her, "you better do your damnedest to make yourself worthy of Suicune's time and patience. If Suicune wants to battle you, then you battle. You do your very best. And if Suicune wants to end the battle, then you let it end. You consider this the highest honor - you consider this the most blessed moment of your life, because it _is_. You take this seriously - you had _better_ take this seriously, because if you don't . . ." Eusine took a deep, shaky breath, closing his eyes. "Because if you don't, then trust me, you _will_ regret it." Eusine could feel Morty's gaze on him, but he blocked it out, focusing solely on Lyra. "Do you understand? And don't just say that you do - _mean_ it. _Actually_ understand. Are you capable of that?"

"Yes," Lyra replied. She looked over at Suicune, and Eusine did too, his heart jumping to his throat as he did so. "I understand completely, Eusine."

"Good," Eusine choked out, speaking around the heart that had decided to take root in his esophagus. "I'm glad you do." Even looking at Suicune now, so close that all it would take would be one step and he'd be standing right in front of the magnificent creature, Eusine could tell that Suicune wanted nothing to do with him. Suicune watched him warily, as any wild Pokèmon might watch a potential enemy, but it had none of the certainty in its eyes that it had when it looked at Lyra. Eusine felt the heart in his throat splinter, burning as it tumbled back down to take root in the pit of his stomach. Suicune wanted nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the brown-haired _child_ standing next to him.

Despite the fact that the day was warm and sunny, Eusine felt icy cold.

"Hey, Eusine." Morty had walked up beside Eusine, and he gently put a hand on Eusine's arm, starting to tug him away. "Come on. We should probably go. We need to give Lyra space to battle, and-"

"No." Eusine jerked his arm from Morty's hold, but continued walking backward - past the stairs that Morty wanted to lead him down, and back to the opposite side of the hill. "I . . . I need to see this."

"Eusine-"

"I said I need to see this, Morty!" Eusine snapped roughly, crossing his arms and clenching his fingers upon them. His grip was so tight that it was almost painful, but Eusine hardly noticed it, especially when Lyra's Furret ran forward, smacking its paws upon the ground to summon a large lightning bolt that hit Suicune in the dead center of its back. Eusine winced at the contact, and at the pained cry that Suicune emitted. It was underhanded, in his book, to use an electrical attack against water-type Suicune. Where was the honor in that? How could Suicune respect _that_?

Soon, Eusine lost all awareness for Morty, and for the shift in time around them. He saw and recognized nothing but the battle, watching as Lyra's Pokèmon danced around Suicune, attacking here, evading there. Suicune fought valiantly, shaking off attack after attack, retaliating with an Aurora Beam or Gust. Every time Suicune took a hit, Eusine involuntarily winced, and when Suicune ended up paralyzed because of one of the Furret's Thunder attacks, Eusine felt like he was going vomit - especially when Lyra continued attacking. _Stop it,_ he wanted to shout, but found that his throat was far too constricted to do so. _Can't you seen that you've done enough? Suicune is injured - how could you continue treating such a magnificent creature that way? Cut it out!_

But Lyra didn't. She continued fighting, wearing Suicune's energy down as much as she could, unrelenting until Suicune stopped, lifted its head to the sky, and roared. Even injured, Suicune's roar sounded melodic to Eusine, and he watched with a brief flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Suicune saw Lyra's tactics as brutal and unworthy. Maybe he saw her as nothing more than an insect who dared to look upon its grace. Maybe-

But no. Lyra recalled her Pokèmon - her Umbreon, this time - and Suicune stepped forward, padding forward until it stood before Lyra. Then it slowly lifted its head down, and touched its nose to Lyra's forehead.

Acceptance. Suicune accepted Lyra as its Chosen One. Eusine's chest felt like someone had wrapped it in a Bind attack, and he suddenly found that his eyes were burning terribly, despite how he blinked to try and dispel the burning. When he looked back up, his eyes burning a little less but his cheeks a lot more wet, he saw that Suicune had gone, and that Lyra was holding a little bell made out of crystal in her hands.

"Suicune had this bell around its neck," she explained, glancing up only fleetingly at him before she looked back to the bell. "I wonder what it is . . . maybe I could use it to call Suicune, if I ever need Suicune's help? Since I couldn't catch it, I mean . . ."

"I think that's exactly what you do," Morty said, sounding as if Lyra had just happened to stumble upon a new book or some other equally trivial matter. As if Lyra hadn't just single-handedly destroyed everything Eusine had ever cared about. "That Clear Bell probably won't ring otherwise. Keep it safe, Lyra - and congratulations."

"I will. Thanks, Morty." Lyra put the bell around her neck and then properly looked at Eusine, who was suddenly aware of the fact that Morty was staring at him as well. Eusine swallowed, trying to clear his throat so that he could talk, but found that every word he spoke just seemed to drive the knife deeper into his chest.

"Congratulations," he ground out, and he didn't manage to make the word sound even the slightest bit pleasant or genuine. "That was an . . . intense battle. You did . . ." Eusine could not think of a positive word that wouldn't be a lie, and so he let the sentence hang, shaking his head as he felt his eyes sting again.

"Eusine?" Lyra asked tentatively, taking a step toward him. "Eusine, are you-"

"Enjoy your victory," he spat. "I'm sure Suicune will be around for you whenever you need it." Spinning on his heel, Eusine bolted for the stairs, ignoring both Lyra and Morty calling after him. Unlike Lyra, Morty gave chase, jumping down the stairs in order to follow Eusine's path before Eusine pulled a Pokèball off his belt and threw it behind him. "Electrode!" he shouted. "Self-destruct!"

Just as planned, the Electrode exploded straight in Morty's face. Eusine knew full well that Morty could have been - and probably was - injured in the blast, but he also knew that right then, he didn't care. After all, Morty didn't care about the fact that Lyra had just stolen Eusine's life dream out from under him, did he? _Let Lyra tend to Morty,_ Eusine thought bitterly, recalling his now-fainted Electrode as he ran. _I'm sure he'd prefer that anyway. They can go off and be best friends for all I care. I don't care. I don't need_ either _of them in my life. Not after what just happened._

But not even his righteous anger could take away the crushed, hollow feeling inside him, and by the time he made it back to Cerulean City, he was somehow feeling one hundred times worse.

* * *

**090. Time**

The first thing Eusine did when he returned to Ecruteak was shut himself in his room and lock the door.

He didn't know where else to go. What else was there to do with his life? He'd devoted his whole life to Suicune, to being worthy of Suicune, to being the one to receive the Clear Bell at the end of the epic battle. But that dream was over. It was over the moment that Lyra had gone down to the basement of the Burned Tower and had Suicune circle her, appraising her, focusing all attention on her. Eusine should have known it then - and perhaps, deep down, he _had_ known it then, but just hadn't wanted to realize it. Dreams die hard, but you hold them in your hand long after they turn to dust, and Eusine hadn't wanted to let go.

But his refusal to let go only meant that it was ripped forcefully from him, torn brutally out of his heart, leaving a bleeding, aching hole in its wake. And no matter how much Eusine sobbed - and he did cry hard, behind closed doors where no one could see him - the pain would not ebb or lessen. His entire life's work was rendered _useless_, his dream was _destroyed_, and he had nothing to show for all of the years he'd devoted to it besides a beautiful little bell hanging around a young girl's neck.

Just thinking about it made Eusine want to scream, but he'd done that already - had done it until his throat was raw and his voice was hoarse - and it hadn't helped.

It only took one day into his solitary confinement in his room for him to hear a knock on his bedroom door. At that moment, Eusine had been lying flat on the floor, the tear tracks mostly dried on his cheeks, his eyes lethargically moving up to stare at the wooden door (he didn't have the energy to move his head). Logically, he knew that there was only one person other than himself that had a key to his house, and therefore, there could only be one person who would be knocking on his door. Nevertheless, he still croaked, "Who is it?"

"You know who it is," Morty said from the other side. "Eusine, come on. Open the door."

Eusine glared, and the anger that flared up in him gave him the energy to sit up, moving over to sit with his back against the wall next to the door. "No."

"Eusine-"

"I said no," Eusine snapped. "Why don't you go talk to Lyra? Isn't _she_ your new best friend now?"

Eusine heard Morty sigh. "No, she isn't, although she was nice enough to patch me up after your Electrode exploded in my face and knocked me back fifteen feet. Don't think I'm not still pissed as hell about that, by the way," Morty added darkly. "Because believe me, I am."

"I wouldn't have had to use the Electrode if you hadn't decided to follow me."

"Eusine, I was trying to help you."

"Really? Do you typically try to help people after you stab them in the back? If that's the case, then by all means, go and betray some other people, Morty. I'm sure they'll fully appreciate the 'help' you offer them afterwards."

"I didn't betray you, Eusine."

"You fooled me, then," Eusine spat. "You know, with the way you _congratulated_ Lyra for _grinding my dreams into the dirt_."

"What was I supposed to do, Eusine?" Morty demanded. "Yell at her? Call her names? Perhaps sic my Gengar on her?"

"Yes! No! I don't know!" Eusine tossed his hands up, letting them thud against the floor. "Something, _anything_ to show that you were on my side. Instead, you were on _her_ side, completely and utterly. So, fine - go be on her side. But don't try to come around and act as if you give a damn about me afterward."

"I'm not _acting_ like anything," Morty snapped, and Eusine smirked humorlessly at the anger he could hear building in Morty's voice. "If you could stop feeling so bitter and victimized for two seconds, then maybe you could realize that I was just trying to _help_ you."

"Help me _how_, Morty?" Eusine demanded. "By telling me not to do anything rash, as if _I'm_ the one in the wrong for trying to defend my dream? By trying to take me away from Suicune, so in the off-chance that Lyra failed I wouldn't be there to prove my worth? By _congratulating_ Lyra and giving her advice so that she can further display proof of her achievement, flaunting it in my face? By the fact that - in doing all of that - you basically treated me like nothing but a criminal, or a child that needed constant supervision?" Eusine shook his head. "If that's your definition of 'help,' then I don't want you to help me ever again. I just want you to get out and stay out, both out of my house _and_ out of my life."

Morty was silent for just a moment before he began speaking. "First of all," he said quietly, "you don't mean that last part." Eusine laughed darkly.

"Oh," he said, "but you'll find that I _do_."

"Secondly," Morty continued, acting as if he hadn't heard what Eusine said, "no. You're twisting everything that happened - not twisting it, really, but you're seeing it from a skewed perspective. None of what you just said was what I was actually doing - at least, not in the way you see it."

"Really now?" Eusine asked sarcastically. "Enlighten me then, Mortimer. Tell me what you were 'really doing.'"

"Don't call me Mortimer," Morty snapped, and Eusine smirked in petty satisfaction. "But fine, I will. Gladly.

"When I told you not to do anything rash, it was because I was worried about you, you idiot." Eusine opened his mouth to respond, but Morty continued, clearly unable to see Eusine through the door. "In case you haven't realized this about yourself yet, you're a _very_ emotional person - and not only are you emotional, but you tend to be very . . . irrational. Just take a look at yourself, Eusine; you do things that normal people wouldn't do every day. I wasn't sure what you were going to do - if you were going to attack Lyra or what - and so I tried to give you a warning because I was worried that you would do something that you would end up seriously regretting. I didn't want to see you end up in prison.

"I tried to get you away from Suicune because I thought that watching the battle would just be painful. And if the fact that you looked about ready to tear your own arms off was any indication, it was. Eusine, I've known you for fourteen years. You think I don't know how important Suicune was to you - probably still _is_ to you? Watching that battle was nothing but pure masochism, Eusine. All it did was hurt you."

"I needed to see it," Eusine said, closing his eyes. He instantly regretted it. With his eyes closed, he could see the battle again, and it felt like someone had poured a bucket of salt into the gaping hole where his heart used to be. He opened his eyes again, glaring at the opposite wall. "I had to at least try to get some kind of closure."

"So you say," Morty replied. "But I still felt like it would have been best to just get you out of there. Anyway . . .

"I congratulated Lyra because it's not like there's much else I could do. Really, Eusine, what did you think I would do? Yell at her? Attack her? Both of those things would have achieved nothing except for ruining whatever potential acquaintanceship I could have with her. Nothing either of us could have done would have prevented Suicune from choosing Lyra, Eusine, especially once the battle was over. I wasn't trying to help her flaunt that fact in your face; I was just trying to be civil.

"Finally . . . Eusine, I wasn't trying to treat you like a criminal or a child. You're neither of those things. I was there and I did those things because you're my best friend. Whether you choose to believe that or not, you are. You're my best friend, and I care about you. I was there because I wanted to be there for you. Why else do you think I closed the Gym and headed all the way to Kanto? It wasn't because I wanted a vacation or because the weather in Kanto is nice, and it's certainly not because I wanted to play cheerleader to some kid. It's because of you, Eusine - because you're practically a brother to me, and I knew that after all of this, you would be hurting." Something thudded against the door, then - Eusine guessed it was Morty's hand. "That's why I'm here now, even though you had your Electrode self-destruct in my face."

By the time Morty got to the last sentence, Eusine was starting to feel bad. His anger was melting away, leaving nothing but guilt and his general depression in its wake, throbbing more painfully than ever. Eusine shook his head, resisting, trying to grab the anger and yank it back. "If you cared so much about me, then why didn't you act like it then?" he demanded. "First she stole Lugia, and now Suicune, and you _don't even care_."

"I _do_ care," Morty countered. "I care a _lot_ Eusine, more than I let on. But the fact is, what will agonizing over it do? What will blaming her do? It won't change the fact that she's the one that awakened Lugia. It won't change the fact that she's the one Suicune chose. All it will do is drive me crazy and make the pain last longer. I do care, Eusine. But all of the agonizing in the world won't change what's already happened."

"I know that," Eusine said, speaking before he could help himself. He pulled his knees to his chest, putting his arms on them, his forehead on his arms. "I know that agonizing over it won't change what happened. Believe me, if it would change what had happened, I'd have that Clear Bell right now. But . . ."

"But that doesn't change how you feel," Morty said softly, only just loud enough for Eusine to hear him through the door. "That doesn't stop it from hurting."

Somehow, despite all of the crying that he'd already done, Eusine felt his eyes stinging again. The anger had faded completely, once again leaving nothing behind but the raw ache, this time tinged with guilt for how he'd treated Morty before. Squinting his eyes shut, Eusine shifted his arms so that he could squeeze his knees to his chest, hugging them like his last lifeline. "Why, Morty?" he managed to ask, his breath hitching with his tears. "Why was I no - not good enough? Why am I so - so _worthless_?"

"You're _not_ worthless." As Morty spoke, Eusine heard the lock on his door click despite the fact that he didn't move to unlock it himself, either due to a ghost Pokèmon he hadn't noticed or a power that Morty wouldn't own up to possessing. Milliseconds later Morty opened the door, shutting it behind him immediately after entering so that he could sit with his back against it, beside Eusine. He put one hand on Eusine's shoulder briefly before pulling it away. "I mean it, Eusine. Don't think like that."

"I had one pur - purpose," Eusine choked out. "Ju - Just one go - goal, and I cou - couldn't even do tha - that. M - My whole life un - until this point is me - _meaningless_. _I'm_ meaningless. I - I have no purpose, I - I can't do _anything_ ri - right . . . I - I might as well not even-"

"If you say a single thing that even remotely sounds suicidal," Morty said quietly, his voice scarily even, "then broken arm or not, I will hit you so hard your head will become stuck in that wall."

Eusine looked up, wiping his eyes quickly on his sleeve, to notice that Morty's left arm was indeed in a sling, and he had bandages wrapped around his head above his eyes instead of his normal headband. "Your arm is broken?"

"Yes, well, that's what happens when an Electrode self-destructs right in front of you," Morty said casually, shrugging. "You tend to break a few bones, sustain a concussion, get some cuts and bruises . . ."

Eusine winced, the guilt flaring white-hot inside of him, and he looked away. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't have done that. I - I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Morty said, and he sounded as if he genuinely meant it. "I know you didn't mean it."

"I _did_ mean it, though," Eusine countered, for even though he knew it wouldn't help his case, he was nothing if not honest. "At the time."

"Probably, but you didn't actually want me to get hurt."

"Well, actually-"

"Eusine, do you want me to forgive you for this, or not?"

". . . Right." Eusine sighed, still not looking over at Morty, preferring instead to stare at a spot on his carpet where he'd spilled something purple - most likely grape juice, but over the years his memories tended to run together, and at the moment he couldn't be bothered to try and remember exactly what it was. "Sorry."

"Apology accepted." Morty let those two words hang in the air for a moment before he spoke again, his voice still soft, but no less firm. "But I meant what I said, Eusine. You're not worthless. Your life is not meaningless. You serve more than just the one purpose in the world, especially since that one purpose you decided to choose for yourself is something that's so high on the scale of expectations that it bypasses unreasonable and shoots straight into impossible. I know that doesn't take away the sting, but not achieving that doesn't make you worthless; it just makes you normal."

Eusine scoffed. "Because being normal is _so_ much better. Being forgettable is what every person dreams of."

"Eusine, there is nothing about you that's forgettable, and that's not always a compliment." Morty's tone was somewhat teasing, but Eusine couldn't bring himself to crack a smile. "Remember, you're the guy who decided that it would be a brilliant idea to be a caped crusader for a year in order to deter criminals from wreaking havoc across Johto, only to have yourself be branded as a criminal instead, which ended up causing the people at the radio tower to create a drama centered around your escapades. If that doesn't make you memorable, I really don't know what does."

At that, Eusine's lips did twitch, even if the smile didn't stay. "That was a fun year."

"If by 'fun' you mean 'more stressful than necessary,' then yes, it was a fun year."

"But it doesn't change the fact that I have nothing to do with my life now. My entire life up until this point has centered around being chosen by Suicune. I . . . I have no job. I have no idea of what I would even do for a job. I won't be able to pay the bills or the rent at this rate. I . . . I won't even be able to _survive_ at this rate, and despite your threat from earlier, Morty, what do I really have to live for now? I failed at the one purpose I had. I was not good enough. If I am not good enough to fulfill m one life goal, then what _can_ be good enough for?"

"First of all," Morty said, and once again, Eusine felt his lips quirk upward ever so slightly in spite of himself. Trust Morty to always list things off in the most logical and rational order, "you've never had a job, period. Chasing Suicune does not count as a job, Eusine, as there is no viable source of income there. Second of all, since you've never have a job, you've never really paid the bills or the rent. Sometimes you do, but most of the time you don't, and the only reason you still have a place to live and working utilities is because _I_ pay your bills and rent, and _you_ know that. Finally, you have yourself to live for. Live for _you_, and for no one else. The most important thing to do, Eusine, is just to _live_."

Eusine laughed weakly, mirthlessly, and put his chin on his knees. "That's easier said than done," he said hoarsely. "So much easier said than done, especially when I . . . when I . . ." Eusine couldn't think of an adequate way to finish the sentence, but it didn't seem to matter.

"I know," Morty said. "I know it's easier said than done, and I know it'll hurt no matter what I say. I don't expect you to get over this today, or even this month. It'll take time - lots of time, but most importantly, time that you have. You have all the time in the world, Eusine. And . . . you also have me."

Eusine looked back over at Morty, and their eyes met, Morty smiling faintly. Once again, Eusine smiled a little, but this time the expression lingered.

"You're my best friend, you know that?" Eusine said, saying the words before he'd even really thought of them. Morty nodded, raising his right arm in a fist. Eusine brought his own fist up to meet it, knocking his knuckles lightly against Morty's.

"Yep," Morty agreed. "'Till the end."

* * *

**A Few Notes:**

1.) I know that HeartGold players get the Clear Bell as their Bell when it comes time to raise Suicune - believe me, I know this, even though I own SoulSilver. However, in _Pokemon Crystal_, the Clear Bell was the item that you were given to summon Suicune to the Tin Tower. Given that fact, and given that these are _SoulSilver_ drabbles and not _HeartGold_ drabbles, I figured I could get away with calling it the Clear Bell versus something like the Crystal Bell like I was going to do originally.

2.) The reason why I felt like I needed something like this was because of my refusal to write the capture of Legendaries into my fics. I know this probably seems strange to a lot of people, but I felt like having Suicune merely run off wouldn't make a single bit of sense. It worked for Lugia, but I felt like it wouldn't work here. There had to be _something_, and so I came up with the Clear Bell. It _will_ have relevance later, especially in regards to Ho-Oh. Trust me.

3.) The line "dreams die hard, but you hold them in your hand long after they turn to dust" is from the movie _Braveheart_, I believe, and is not mine.

Please review!


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